US Centcom chief hails Pakistan's phenomenal role in counter terrorism

The head of the United States (US) Central Command (Centcom), Commander General Michael Kurilla praised Pakistan’s vital role in the fight against terrorism, describing it as an exceptional counter-terrorism partner.

During a House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington on Tuesday, General Michael Kurilla spoke about the close intelligence cooperation between the two countries.

When questioned about the situation on the Afghan border with Pakistan, the Centcom chief said that the latter has captured a number of high-value ISIS Khorasan (IS-K) operatives.

He called Pakistan a phenomenal partner in the world of counter-terrorism. “Through a relationship we have with them and providing intelligence, they have captured at least five ISIS Khorasan high-value individuals,” General Kurilla said.

The Centcom chief said Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir personally contacted him to share updates, including the capture and handover of Jaffar, the mastermind behind the Abbey Gate bombing.

“He said ‘I’ve caught him, I’m willing to extradite him back to the United States, please tell the secretary of defence and the president,” General Kurilla said while recounting the conversation with Filed Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

“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,” the Centcom chief added.

General Kurilla also acknowledged the sacrifices made by civilians and military personnel of Pakistan and said that, over 1,000 terrorist attacks have struck Pakistan’s western regions since 2024, resulting in the death of approximately 700 security personnel and civilians and injuries of around 2,500 persons.

The Centcom chief said that Pakistan is waging an active counter-terrorism campaign, observing that ISIS-Khorasan appears weakened, with a noticeable decline in its activities.