Taliban’s Sirajuddin Haqqani Meets Syrian Interior Minister During Hajj Pilgrimage

Mohammed Jalal, advisor to the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, has announced that Sirajuddin Haqqani met with Anas al-Abdah, Syria’s Interior Minister, during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. According to Jalal, the meeting included senior intelligence officials from both sides, but the details of their discussions have not been disclosed.

Jalal shared a photo on the social media platform X, stating that Abdul Haq Wasiq, head of Taliban intelligence, and Hussein Salameh, head of Syrian intelligence, were also present at the meeting. The exact date of the meeting remains unclear, but the published photo indicates the encounter took place in a relatively informal setting.

This meeting comes despite the absence of official diplomatic relations between the Taliban administration and the Syrian government. Damascus, like many other countries, has not recognized the Taliban administration and has not made any formal announcements in this regard.

Previously, in February 2025, Mohammed Hassan Akhund, the Taliban’s Prime Minister, sent a letter to Ahmad Shara, Syria’s interim president, congratulating his appointment and expressing a desire to expand “brotherly” relations between the two countries. Despite this expressed interest, interactions between the parties have remained limited with no signs of formal progress in their relations.

Over the past nearly five years, the Taliban administration has sought to establish engagement with countries through informal meetings and side contacts. However, these efforts have faced significant challenges due to international concerns over human rights and the political structure of the Taliban government.