Key points
- Key IS terrorist was responsible for 2021 Kabul Airport Attack
- 13 US military servicemen were killed in the attack
- Pakistan handed over Sharifullah to US
ISLAMABAD: 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.
USCENTCOM is the 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.
Pakistan and the US share a commitment to combating terrorism, USCENTCOM said.
“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,” USCENTCOM wrote in a post on X.
افغانستان میں کابل ایئرپورٹ کے ایبی گیٹ پر حملے کے مرکزی ملزم شریف اللہ کی گرفتاری میں تعاون پر پاکستان کے شکر گزار ہیں کہ اس نے ملزم کو انصاف کے کٹہرے میں لانے کے لیے امریکہ کے ساتھ تعاون کیا۔
امریکی صدر نے اس ہفتے کانگریس کے مشترکہ اجلاس سے خطاب کے دوران ملزم کی گرفتاری کا… https://t.co/3db8nSMkFe
— U.S. Central Command – URDU (@CENTCOMUrdu) March 7, 2025
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.
“Pakistan and the United States have a common interest in the war on terrorism,” USCENTCOM said.
Trump thanks Pakistan
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump thanked Pakistan for helping in the arrest of the terrorist in his address to the joint session of 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.
State Department’s acknowledgement
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”.
