https://arab.news/nqhfe
- The bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport took place when US forces were pulling out from Afghanistan
- So far, Pakistan has issued no statement about the arrest or shared details of the operation that led to it
ISLAMABAD: President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the arrest of a senior Daesh commander implicated in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 US service members during the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan, thanking Pakistan for making it possible.
The August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul occurred amid the US evacuation from the country, which also led to the death of approximately 170 Afghan civilians.
The incident drew widespread criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the military pullout, with many, including members of Trump’s Republican Party, labeling it as poorly planned and executed.
“ISIS [Daesh] terrorists killed 13 American service members and countless others in the Abbey Gate bombing during the disastrous and incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Trump said while addressing the US Congress. “Not that they were withdrawing, it was the way they withdrew. Perhaps the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country. Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice.”
“And I want to thank especially the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster,” he continued. “This was a very momentous day for those 13 families who I actually got to know very well, most of them whose children were murdered, and the many people that were so badly, over 42 people so badly injured on that fateful day.”
Pakistan and the US have a history of cooperation in counterterrorism efforts, particularly during the “war on terror” following the September 11 attacks.
Despite periods of strained relations, Pakistan has captured and handed over several Taliban and Al-Qaeda members to US authorities.
However, both nations have faced criticism from human rights organizations, alleging that not all detainees were affiliated with militant groups and highlighting concerns over the treatment of these individuals, including reports of extreme interrogation techniques such as waterboarding and sleep deprivation.
So far, no statement has emerged from Pakistan about the arrest of the Daesh leader or the details of the operation that led to his arrest.