President Donald Trump on Tuesday expressed his gratitude to Pakistan for its assistance in apprehending a terrorist involved in the attack on US forces during the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation.
In his address to the joint session of Congress, Trump said, “I want to thank, especially, the Pakistani government for helping arrest this monster.”
He continued, “I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity.”
According to Axios, an American news outlet, Pakistan recently acted on CIA intelligence and detained a senior ISIS commander linked to the deadly “Abbey Gate bombing” during the US evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021.
US officials confirmed that Mohammad Sharifullah, a leader of an ISIS faction operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is believed to have orchestrated the August 26, 2021, attack that killed 13 US service members and approximately 170 Afghan citizens.
One US official with direct knowledge of the matter stated that Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” is being extradited to the US from Pakistan after being detained by the Pakistani Intelligence Service. Sharifullah is expected to arrive in the US on Wednesday, with an indictment against him set to be unsealed.
Reuters reported that Trump shared the news during address to Congress, but gave no further details.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the person, whom she did not identify further, would be taken into US custody by the Justice Department, FBI and CIA.
“We hope this brings some closure to the families of the 13 American Heroes lost at Abbey Gate. We will continue to bring those who harm Americans to swift and decisive justice,” Bondi wrote on X.
