RASC News Agency: Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has claimed that Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani Network and the Taliban’s Interior Minister, has returned to Afghanistan and is currently resting at home. However, doubts persist, as a similar statement was previously made about Abbas Stanikzai, only for reports to later confirm that he had fled the country. In an interview with Ariana News, Mujahid stated that Haqqani had returned to Kabul after receiving medical treatment and is now recuperating.
Last month, Haqqani traveled to the United Arab Emirates before heading to Saudi Arabia. Following his pilgrimage to Mecca, he did not return to Kabul, fueling speculation about his whereabouts. At the time, the Taliban claimed that his visit to the UAE was for high-level meetings, with Mujahid specifically noting that Haqqani was accompanied by Abdul Haq Wasiq, the head of Taliban intelligence. The United Nations Security Council’s Sanctions Committee had temporarily lifted Haqqani’s travel restrictions for ten days, allowing him to visit Saudi Arabia until February 3. However, after that, his location remained undisclosed, raising questions about his motives. Some reports suggest that his prolonged absence was due to rising tensions with Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader.
On February 5, Mujahid asserted that Haqqani had returned to Afghanistan following his trip. However, by February 18, sources indicated that he had been abroad for over a month, further intensifying suspicions about his status. This uncertainty mirrors a previous incident: Mujahid had earlier claimed that Abbas Stanikzai was at home resting, but media reports the following day revealed that he had actually escaped to London. Some sources suggest that on March 3, Haqqani traveled from Dubai to Khost but has since refused to return to Kabul. Allegedly, he has grown increasingly dissatisfied with Akhundzada’s leadership, particularly regarding the Taliban’s draconian restrictions on women and girls.
As of now, Haqqani’s exact whereabouts remain unverified, with Mujahid being the only Taliban official to claim he has returned.
