US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the person responsible for killing 13 US service members during the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 had been arrested with the help of Pakistan and was now on his way to the United States to face justice.
The 2021 Abbey Gate bombing killed 13 US service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The militant Islamic State (IS) group had claimed responsibility for the killings.
Trump shared the news in his first address to Congress since returning to the White House for a second term. While he gave no further details, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X, identified the held terrorist as Sharifullah, a “top tier operational commander” of the militant IS-KP chapter.
“Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice,” the US president told the Congress.
In a rare public gesture of appreciation, Trump thanked Islamabad for its role in the capture, saying: “I want to thank especially the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster.”
Trump emphasised his personal connection with the US victims’ families, stating: “I spoke to many of the parents and loved ones, and they’re all in our hearts tonight. Just spoke to them on phone. We had a big call. Everyone called, and everybody was on the line, and they did nothing but cry with happiness.”
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz said on his X account tha
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