US-Pakistan cooperation on counter-terrorism remains vitally important: State Dept

United States-Pakistan cooperation on counter-terrorism remains crucial, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Thursday after Daesh-K terrorist Sharifullah’s arrest.

Sharifullah — who the US says also goes by the name Jafar and is a member of the Daesh-K — was detained by Pakistani authorities and extradited to the United States.

“We extend our gratitude to the Government of Pakistan for their partnership in bringing Mohammad Sharifullah to justice,” Bruce said during her press briefing in Washington.

The State Department spokesperson mentioned that the United States and Pakistan have a common interest in fighting terrorism. “…and the arrest of this terrorist also illustrated that US-Pakistan cooperation on counterterrorism remains vitally important,” the spokesperson added.

The Daesh operative allegedly helped carry out the 2021 suicide bombing outside Kabul airport during the chaotic US military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Sharifullah has confessed to scouting out the route to the airport, where the suicide bomber later detonated his device among packed crowds trying to flee days after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the Justice Department said.

The blast at the Abbey Gate killed at least 170 Afghans as well as 13 US troops who were securing the airport’s perimeter.

Sharifullah has already appeared in a court in Alexandria. He did not enter a plea. His next appearance will be in the same courthouse on Monday, and he will stay in custody until then.

President Donald Trump triumphantly announced his arrest Tuesday in an address to Congress, calling him “the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity”, while thanking Pakistan for apprehending him.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for acknowledging the country’s role in counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan, and promised to “continue to partner closely with the United States” in a post on X.

‘Critical intelligence shared with Pakistan’
Daesh-K militants gave Sharifullah a cellphone and a SIM card and told him to check the route to the airport, according to the Justice Department’s affidavit in the case.

When he gave it the all-clear, they told him to leave the area, it said.

“Later that same day, Sharifullah learned of the attack at HKIA described above and recognised the alleged bomber as an [Daesh]-K operative he had known while incarcerated,” the affidavit said.

Sharifullah is charged with “providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death.”

In a demonstration of the strong partnership between the two nations, The News reported, the Trump administration shared critical intelligence with Pakistani authorities, facilitating Sharifullah’s confession, Karoline Leavitt, a White House spokesperson said.

Notably, Sharifullah confessed to the crime before Pakistani officials, highlighting the collaborative nature of the investigation.

The successful outcome of this counter-terrorism effort is a testament to the value of US-Pakistan cooperation in combating terrorism and promoting regional stability, Levit said.

According to the White House spokesperson: “President Trump brought justice to the families of thirteen American heroes.”