The U.S. State Department has announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the capture of Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, leader of the Iranian-aligned militia Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
The U.S. State Department has officially announced a $10 million reward for information regarding Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, the leader of the Iraqi armed group Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS). This initiative is part of Washington’s ongoing efforts to combat Iran-aligned militias operating in Iraq and Syria.
The announcement was made via the official X account for the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program, which provided details on how individuals can report information about al-Saraji. The KSS is a Shiite militia that emerged in the wake of regional instability following the rise of ISIS in Iraq in 2014. The group is widely regarded as ideologically aligned with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and operates within Iraq’s broader network of Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
The KSS has been accused by the United States of conducting attacks against civilians in Iraq, as well as targeting U.S. diplomatic facilities, military bases, and personnel in both Iraq and Syria. This reward announcement underscores the U.S. government’s commitment to disrupting the operations of such militias and reducing Iran’s influence in the region.
Al-Saraji, also known as Abu Alaa al-Walai, has been identified as both the leader and secretary-general of KSS. In 2023, he was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the group itself was classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2025. This classification has expanded U.S. legal powers to impose sanctions and offer higher rewards for intelligence related to the group.
The reward announcement is part of a broader U.S. strategy aimed at dismantling militia leadership structures. U.S. officials have indicated that informants providing valuable information may also be eligible for relocation assistance, in addition to financial compensation. This highlights the priority placed on gathering intelligence about KSS’s operations and leadership.
The development reflects the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq, where militia activity continues to play a significant role in regional security dynamics.
Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji is recognized in 2026 U.S. government reports as a senior leader of the KSS, an armed group primarily active in Iraq and Syria. He is also known to use the alias Abu Ala al-Walai. However, there is limited publicly available information about his personal life, early education, or background. Most knowledge about al-Saraji is derived from government statements, sanctions records, and security reporting rather than independent biographical sources.
As a result, he is primarily known in public records as a militia leader linked to an Iran-aligned organization, rather than as a widely documented public figure with a detailed personal history.
The announcement of the reward for al-Saraji emphasizes the U.S. government’s focus on countering the influence of Iran-aligned militias in the region and reflects ongoing efforts to enhance security in Iraq and Syria.
According to The American Bazaar, the U.S. continues to prioritize intelligence gathering on militia operations as part of its broader strategy in the Middle East.