Country Report on Terrorism 2024 - Chapter 4 - Haqqani Network (HQN)

Haqqani Network

Aka:  HQN.

Description:  The Haqqani Network (HQN) was designated as an FTO on September 19, 2012.HQN was formed in the late 1980s, around the time of the then-Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.  HQN founder Jalaluddin Haqqani established a relationship with Usama bin Laden in the mid-1980s and joined the Taliban in 1995.  After the fall of the Taliban’s so-called government in Afghanistan in 2001, Haqqani retreated to Pakistan, where his son, Sirajuddin, continued to direct and conduct HQN’s terrorist activity in Afghanistan.  In 2015, Sirajuddin Haqqani was appointed deputy leader of the Taliban.  Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Sirajuddin Haqqani was appointed as the so-called minister of the interior.

Activities:  In December 2024, Khalil ur-Rahman Haqqani was killed in a suicide bombing attack claimed by the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province.  HQN did not claim responsibility for any attacks in 2024.

Strength:  HQN was estimated to have between 3,000 and 5,000 fighters.

Location/Area of Operation:  Afghanistan.

Funding and External Aid:  In addition to the funding HQN received as a result of its association with the Afghan Taliban, the group has received some funds from donors in Pakistan and the Persian Gulf region.

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