Qari Yahya Haqqani is a senior and influential member of the Haqqani Network. He is the cousin and brother-in-law of Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani Network and the current Taliban Interior Minister.
He has long been deeply involved in the military and financial operations of the Haqqani Network, particularly in the Arab Gulf countries. In the past, Yahya Haqqani served as the primary messenger between Sirajuddin Haqqani and senior Haqqani field commanders, playing a critical role in providing logistical and financial support for major operations. He also personally participated in military activities and sustained a leg injury during one operation. Additionally, he reportedly served as the main liaison for the Haqqani Network with foreign terrorist and militant groups, including al-Qaeda.
Born in the early 1980s, Yahya Haqqani was educated at the Haqqania madrassa in Pakistan and later served as an Arabic interpreter for Sirajuddin Haqqani. Reports indicate that he operated a media studio inside one of Haqqani Network-run madrassas, where he edited videos depicting the group's military operations across Afghanistan. He also reportedly oversaw suicide operations for the Haqqani Network.
In 2014, the U.S. government designated Yahya Haqqani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). He is also among the Haqqani leaders sanctioned by the United Nations under the designation TAi.169.
