Pakistan has been a “phenomenal partner” to the U.S. in countering terrorism, U.S. General Michael Kurilla mentioned on Tuesday.
Speaking at a U.S. House Armed Services Committee listening to, the CENTCOM chief mentioned that Pakistan’s army has captured “at least five ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K)” terrorists utilizing intelligence offered by the U.S., and argued in favour of strengthening relations with each 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 mentioned, citing Pakistani army actions in opposition to ISIS-Okay.
‘Pakistan effective against ISIS-K’
Gen. Kurilla appreciated the Pakistan army for arresting Mohammed Sharifullah, who was accused of orchestrating and offering materials help for the August 26, 2021 suicide blast at Kabul airport that led to the demise of not less than 13 U.S. army personnel and not less than 170 Afghan civilians through the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The U.S. had blamed the assault on ISIS-Khorasan parts. Sharifullah, additionally identified by his alias Jaffar, was flown to the U.S. in the primary week of March.
“We’re seeing Pakistan — with limited intelligence that we provided them — go after them using their means to do that and we’re seeing an effect on ISIS Khorasan,” mentioned Gen. Kurilla. He added that, quickly after the arrest of Sharifullah, Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir had known as him, requesting that the knowledge ought to be delivered to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Following the April 22 Pahalgam terror assault, India intensified its marketing campaign for stricter worldwide measures in opposition to Pakistan to rein in terror outfits such because the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which goal Indian residents and amenities from Pakistan bases. During Operation Sindoor, Indian forces hit targets inside Pakistan that belonged to the LeT and JeM.
‘U.S. needs ties with India, Pakistan’
Gen. Kurilla, nevertheless, argued in favour of the U.S. participating each India and Pakistan in order to advance its safety targets. “We have to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I don’t believe it’s a binary switch that we can’t have one with Pakistan if we have one with India. We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has,” he mentioned, including that Pakistan’s actions had been eroding the ISIS-Okay that had carried out assaults in Russia in addition to in Iran.
Incoming U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapoor had additionally expressed related views in a affirmation listening to. “On Pakistan, if confirmed,” he mentioned that he would “pursue security cooperation where it is beneficial to U.S. interests.”
The Ministry of External Affairs is but to reply to the remarks from the U.S. CENTCOM chief. India has been participating with the U.S. on its issues about cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who visited Washington DC from May 27 to 29, had additionally included “counter-terrorism” in his agenda throughout his talks there, the MEA mentioned.
Published – June 11, 2025 09:56 pm IST
