ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir and General Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) discussed regional security and joint training in a meeting on Thursday, the army’s media wing said. 

US CENTCOM directs and enables military operations with its allies to increase regional security and promote US interests. Among its stated command priorities is to counter violent extremist organizations. 

Pakistan has seen a surge in militant attacks in its Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces bordering Afghanistan since a fragile truce between the state and the Pakistani Taliban broke down in Nov. 2022. 

Both Pakistan and US have collaborated over the years to take out militant organizations, especially in Pakistan’s restive tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. 

Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said General Kurilla called on Munir at the army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi. 

“During the meeting, matters of shared interests, particularly cooperation in regional security matters came under discussion,” the ISPR said. 

“Both sides discussed avenues of joint training and reiterated the need for enhancing training interactions between CENTCOM and Pakistan Army.”

The ISPR said Kurilla acknowledged Pakistan Army’s success in its fight against “terrorism” and appreciated its continued efforts to bring peace and stability to the region. 

Ties between Islamabad and Washington, once close allies, have just started to warm after some years of frosty relations, mostly due to concerns about Pakistan’s alleged support of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies this support. 

Relations strained further under the government of former prime minister Imran Khan, who ruled from 2018-22 and antagonized Washington throughout his tenure, welcoming the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 and later accusing Washington of being behind attempts to oust him. Washington has dismissed the accusation. 

The government of PM Shehbaz Sharif that took over after Khan and whose term ended last year tried to mend ties but analysts widely believe the United States will not seek a significant broadening of ties with Islamabad in the near future but remain mostly focused on security cooperation, especially on counterterrorism and Afghanistan.