US offers $20 million reward on terrorist group's leaders

The fight against Islamist terrorist group, ISIS just took a new twist as the United States government is offering rewards totalling $20 million (about N3.9 billion) for information on what it says are 4 leaders of the Islamist militant group.

The 4 leaders who join a list of suspects sought under the Rewards for Justice Program are named as Abdul Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili and Tariq bin al-Tahar bin al-Falih al-Awni al-Harzi.

According to BBC, the breakdown of the rewards by the US State Department include -  up to $7m for information on Qaduli whom it described as a senior IS official who originally joined its precursor, al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).

There is also an offer of $5m each for Adnani; described as an official spokesman and Batirashvili; also known as Omar Shishani - who is a battlefield commander in northern Syria and up to $3m for Harzi; who is chief of the group's suicide bombers.

It also offers up to $10m for IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The offer comes a day after the terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack at a Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest being held at a conference centre in Garland near Dallas.

In a statement, the group said "two soldiers of the caliphate" had been behind the attack on the event which featured a contest offering a $10,000 (about N1.9 million) prize for a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad.

Both gunmen were however shot dead by a police officer after they opened fire outside the venue on Sunday.

ISIS has seized pockets of areas in eastern Syria and northern Iraq, declaring them a caliphate and imposing a harsh interpretation of Islamic law on the inhabitants.

The state department said the group was responsible for systematic human rights abuses, including mass executions, rape and the killing of children.