US Centcom thanks Pakistan for helping arrest Sharifullah

KARACHI: The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) has thanked Pakistan for helping in the arrest of the main suspect in the 2021 attack on Kabul Airport in Afghanistan, saying that Pakistan and the US share a commitment to combating terrorism. 

In a post on X (Twitter) on Saturday, USCENTCOM’s Urdu handle wrote: “We are grateful to Pakistan for its cooperation in the arrest of Sharifullah, the main suspect in the attack on the Abbey Gate of Kabul Airport in Afghanistan, and for its cooperation with the United States in bringing the suspect to justice.”

The post also reminded that US President Donald Trump had announced the arrest of the suspect during his address to a joint session of Congress.

CENTCOM concluded by adding that “Pakistan and the United States have a common interest in the war on terrorism”. USCENTCOM is a unified combatant command of the US military responsible for overseeing operations, security cooperation, and strategic interests across the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia.

On Tuesday (March 4), President Trump had in his joint address to Congress announced that the US had apprehended a “top terrorist” involved in the 2021 bombing at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate which had killed 13 US service members and at least 170 Afghan civilians.

Mohammad Sharifullah aka Jafar -- a senior member of ISIS-K -- is said to have been involved in the planning of the bombing and has been charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support for terrorism.Trump and CENTCOM have not been alone in acknowledging Pakistan’s role in this high-profile arrest. In a press briefing on Thursday, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, “We extend our gratitude to the government of Pakistan for their partnership in bringing Mohammad Sharifullah to justice”. 

The State Department spokesperson added that the US and Pakistan have a mutual interest in tackling terrorism and that “the arrest of this terrorist [has] also illustrated that US-Pakistan cooperation on counterterrorism remains vitally important”.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also mentioned Pakistan’s role in helping with Sharifullah’s arrest.