Pakistan has been a “phenomenal partner” to the U.S. in countering terrorism, U.S. General Michael Kurilla said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a U.S. House Armed Services Committee hearing, the CENTCOM chief said that Pakistan’s military has captured “at least five ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K)” terrorists using intelligence provided by the U.S., and argued in favour of strengthening relations with both India and Pakistan.
“Since the beginning of 2024, Pakistan had over 1,000 terrorist attacks in the western area, killing about 700 security (personnel) and civilians, and 2,500 [were] wounded — they are in an active counter-terrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world,” Gen. Kurilla said, citing Pakistani military actions against ISIS-K.
‘Pakistan effective against ISIS-K’
Gen. Kurilla appreciated the Pakistan military for arresting Mohammed Sharifullah, who was accused of orchestrating and providing material support for the August 26, 2021 suicide blast at Kabul airport that led to the death of at least 13 U.S. military personnel and at least 170 Afghan civilians during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The U.S. had blamed the attack on ISIS-Khorasan elements. Sharifullah, also known by his alias Jaffar, was flown to the U.S. in the first week of March.
