ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the arrest of a senior Daesh commander implicated in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 US service members during the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan, thanking Pakistan for making it possible.
The August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul occurred amid the US evacuation from the country, which also led to the death of about 170 Afghan civilians.
The incident drew widespread criticism of former President Joe Biden administration’s handling of the military pullout, with many, including members of Trump’s Republican Party, labeling it as poorly planned and executed.
“ISIS [Daesh] terrorists killed 13 American service members and countless others in the Abbey Gate bombing during the disastrous and incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Trump said, referring to one of the Kabul airport entrances, while addressing the US Congress. “Not that they were withdrawing, it was the way they withdrew. Perhaps the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country. Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice.”
“And I want to thank especially the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster,” he continued. “This was a very momentous day for those 13 families who I actually got to know very well, most of them whose children were murdered, and the many people that were so badly, over 42 people so badly injured on that fateful day.”
According to reports in the US media, Trump was referring to Mohammad Sharifullah, a Daesh commander allegedly involved in masterminding the bombing. CNN said he was being “charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support for terrorism, according to a source familiar with the matter.”
It added: “Pakistan acted on CIA intelligence that led to the arrest of Sharifullah, according to another source familiar with the matter.”
Pakistan and the US have a history of cooperation in counterterrorism efforts, particularly during the “war on terror” following the September 11 attacks.
Despite periods of strained relations, Pakistan has captured and handed over several Taliban and Al-Qaeda members to US authorities.
However, both nations have faced criticism from human rights organizations, alleging that not all detainees were affiliated with militant groups and highlighting concerns over the treatment of these individuals, including reports of extreme interrogation techniques such as waterboarding and sleep deprivation.
While no comprehensive statement has emerged from Pakistan about the details of the operation leading to the Daesh leader’s arrest, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the US president for acknowledging and appreciating his country’s role and support in counterterrorism.
He also noted that Sharifullah was an Afghan national and confirmed the involvement of Pakistan’s security forces in his arrest.
“The wanted terrorist was apprehended in a successful operation conducted in [the] Pakistan-Afghanistan border region,” he said in a social media post on X.
“As is well-known, Pakistan has always played a critical role in counterterrorism efforts aimed at denying safe havens to terrorists and militant groups the space to operate against any other country,” he continued. “We remain steadfast in our resolve and unwavering commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
Sharif highlighted Pakistan’s sacrifices while fighting against militant groups, saying the country had lost over 80,000 of its soldiers and citizens.
“The resolve of our leadership and our people remains unflinching, to eradicate the menace of terrorism from our country,” he added. “We will continue to partner closely with the United States in securing regional peace and stability.”
Trump says Pakistan helped capture Daesh militant behind Kabul bombing that killed 13 Americans
https://arab.news/p6rmm
Trump says Pakistan helped capture Daesh militant behind Kabul bombing that killed 13 Americans
- The bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport took place when US forces were pulling out from Afghanistan
- Pakistan PM says his country will continue to partner closely with the US in securing regional peace and stability
Pakistan alleges India behind Balochistan attacks that killed 18 civilians, 15 troops
- Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accuses India of planning coordinated attacks across Balochistan this week
- Military says it killed 133 militants on Friday and Saturday in separate operations across various areas in Balochistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi this week alleged that India was behind the recent coordinated attacks in the southwestern Balochistan province that the military says killed 18 civilians and 15 troops, vowing to go after those responsible for the violence.
Pakistan’s military said on Saturday that it had killed 133 militants in the past two days in separate operations in Balochistan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said 41 militants were killed in operations in Panjgur and Harnai areas on Friday while 92 militants, including three suicide bombers, were killed on Saturday as security forces repelled coordinated attacks on civilians and law enforcement personnel in Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung, Nushki, Dalbandin, Kharan, Panjgur, Tump and Pasni areas.
It added that 18 civilians, including women, children, elderly people and laborers, were killed in the attacks in Gwadar and Kharan, while 15 security personnel were also killed during clearance operations and armed standoffs.
“India is behind these attacks,” Naqvi said during a joint press conference in Quetta late Saturday night with Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti. “I can tell you for sure that India planned these attacks along with these terrorists.”
He vowed that Islamabad would go after the militants who carried out these attacks and their “masters.”
“At this time it is very necessary that the world knows that the main country that is behind terrorism is India, who not only financially supports terrorists but also supports them in their planning and strategy as well,” the minister said.
In its statement on Saturday, the ISPR said the attacks were launched by “Indian sponsored Fitna al Hindustan,” a reference the military frequently uses for the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militant group.
The BLA also issued a statement on Saturday, saying it had launched what it called “Operation Herof 2.0,” claiming responsibility for attacks in multiple locations across Balochistan.
The military had said intelligence reports have confirmed the attacks were orchestrated and directed by militant leaders operating from outside Pakistan who were in direct communication with attackers during the assaults.
Pakistan has frequently blamed India for supporting militant attacks in Balochistan and its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, charges that New Delhi has vehemently denied.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has faced a decades-long insurgency by separatist militant groups, with Pakistani authorities frequently accusing foreign actors of backing the violence. India has repeatedly denied such allegations.
