The U.S. has offered a reward of 45 million dollars
for information on eight key leaders of the Al-Qaeda
in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) terrorist
organisation.
The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday in
Washington that it’s Rewards for Justice Programme
was also offering rewards of 10 million dollars for
information leading to the location of Nasir al-
Wahishi, AQAP’s top leader, and five million dollars
each for the information on seven of the group’s
leaders.
It said the Al-Wahishi was responsible for approving
AQAP targets, recruiting new members, allocating
resources, and directing the group’s operatives to
conduct attacks.
It said AQAP had launched numerous high-profile
terrorist attacks against the Yemeni government, U.S.
and other foreign interests.
It said the attack includes a May 2012 suicide
bombing in Sanaa, that killed more than 100 people.
The department said in 2013 more than 20 U.S
embassies were temporarily closed in response to a
threat associated with AQAP.
AQAP was formed in January 2009 by Yemeni and
Saudi terrorists under the leadership of al-Wahishi,
who had headed AQAP’s predecessor group Al-
Qaeda in Yemen.
On January 19th 2010, the then Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton designated the group as a Foreign
Terrorist Organization.