The official X account for the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program has posted a $10 million reward for information on Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji, the leader of the Iraqi armed group Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS).
The announcement reflects Washington’s ongoing effort to target Iran-aligned militias operating in Iraq and Syria. The post listed the details of the reward and how to contact the U.S. government to pass on any information about al-Saraji.
KSS is a Shiite militia group that emerged in the aftermath of regional instability following the rise of ISIS in Iraq in 2014. It is widely described as supposedly being ideologically aligned with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and operates within Iraq’s broader network of Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The group has been accused by the United States of carrying out attacks against civilians in Iraq as well as targeting U.S. diplomatic facilities, military bases, and personnel in both Iraq and Syria.
READ: US expands visa restrictions targeting individuals linked to ‘adversarial’ countries (April 17, 2026)
Al-Saraji, also known as Abu Alaa al-Walai, has been identified as both the leader and secretary-general of the group. He was previously designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2023, and the group itself was later classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2025, which expanded U.S. legal powers to impose sanctions and offer higher rewards for intelligence.
The reward announcement is part of a broader U.S. strategy to disrupt militia leadership structures and reduce Iran’s influence in the region. Officials have also stated that informants may be eligible for relocation assistance in addition to financial compensation, underscoring the priority placed on gathering intelligence about the group’s operations and leadership.
The development reflects continuing tensions between the United States and Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq, where militia activity remains a major factor in regional security dynamics.
READ: State Department expands online vetting for H-1B, H-4 visas: What applicants should know (December 4, 2025)
Who is Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji?
Hashim Finyan Rahim al-Saraji is identified in 2026 U.S. government reporting as a senior Iraqi militia leader associated with Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS), an armed group operating primarily in Iraq and Syria. He is also reported in several security and media sources to use the alias Abu Ala al-Walai.
Beyond these official designations, there is very limited publicly available personal information about al-Saraji. Details such as his early life, education, or private background are not well documented in open sources. As a result, most knowledge about him comes from government statements, sanctions records, and security reporting rather than independent biographical data.
He is primarily known in public records as a militia leader linked to an Iran-aligned armed organization rather than as a widely documented public figure with a detailed personal history.