Pakistan a ‘phenomenal partner' in counterterrorism
Testifying before the US House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Kurilla said Pakistan's military has captured at least five ISIS-Khorasan terrorists using limited intelligence provided by the US. '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,' he said.
In March 2025, Pakistan assisted the US in arresting Mohammed Sharifullah, an alleged co-conspirator in the 2021 Kabul airport attack. After the arrest, Pakistani Army chief General Asim Munir reached out to Kurilla and asked him to pass on the information to US President Donald Trump, according to the CENTCOM chief.
Pakistan, which was a close ally of the US during the Cold War, has claimed that it was a victim of terrorism in the region stemming from the policies of Western governments during the Soviet-Afghanistan war in the 1980s. In an interview in April with Sky News, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said his country previously did the West's 'dirty work' by 'training and indoctrinating jihadists.' He called it a mistake and stated that Pakistan now bears the consequences of its previous policies.
JUST IN - U.S. Central Command Chief General Michael Kurilla has praised Pakistan as 'a phenomenal counter-terrorism partner' in the fight against terrorism. The U.S. commended Pakistan for its continued support in operations against ISIS. pic.twitter.com/VXfuNlS0oV
Pakistan, a designated major non-NATO ally, possesses a significant amount of US military equipment, such as F-16 fighter jets. It has, however, reduced its dependence on American weapons, relying more on Beijing over the last decade.
During his testimony on Tuesday, Kurilla advocated for strengthening relations with both Pakistan and India, highlighting the importance of cooperation in the region. His comments came a month after a major military escalation between the two South Asian neighbors.
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