United States (US) President Donald Trump on Wednesday expressed gratitude to the Pakistani government for its role in apprehending a key suspect in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing that claimed the lives of 13 American service members and dozens of Afghan civilians.
"I want to thank, especially, the Pakistani government for helping arrest this monster," Trump said while addressing a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.
The US president, in what became the longest speech of its kind at an hour and 49 minutes, announced that the suspect, identified as Mohammad Sharifullah, had been taken into custody and was being extradited to the US to face trial.
"Three and a half years ago, a [Daesh] terrorist killed 13 American service members and countless others in the Abbey Gate bombing," Trump said. "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."
His remarks were met with a round of applause, after which he reiterated his appreciation for Pakistan’s cooperation, calling it a "momentous day" for the families of those affected by the attack.
US officials confirm Pakistan’s role
According to senior US officials, Pakistan acted on intelligence provided by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and detained Sharifullah, a senior commander of the ISIS-K group, which is active in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
A US official familiar with the matter said that Sharifullah, also known as "Jafar," was a key planner of the August 26, 2021, attack at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport during the chaotic withdrawal of American and allied troops from Afghanistan.
"He has been a high-value target for the US intelligence community for several years," the official said, adding that he was expected to arrive in the US on Wednesday, where an indictment against him would be unsealed.
Another US official stated that Sharifullah personally oversaw the execution of the bombing, which resulted in the deaths of 170 Afghan civilians in addition to the US troops.
Call for bipartisan unity
During his address, President Trump also took a moment to urge cooperation from his political opponents, lamenting the lack of enthusiasm from some Democratic lawmakers in the chamber.
"This is my fifth such speech to Congress, and once again, I look at the Democrats in front of me, and I realise there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy or to make them stand or smile or applaud," Trump remarked.
Despite the tension, he called for unity. "For just this one night, why not join us in celebrating so many incredible wins for America? For the good of our nation, let’s work together and let’s truly make America great again," he urged.
His address, which was met with heckling from some Democratic lawmakers, saw Representative Al Green escorted out of the chamber on the orders of House Speaker Mike Johnson.
This was Trump's first address to Congress since returning to office for a second term, and he used the occasion to highlight what he described as his administration’s successes.
