US “stands with” Pakistan against terrorism: Pentagon

WASHINGTON: The United States (US) Department of Defense (DOD) Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh strongly condemned terrorism in Pakistan while stating that the US was committed to fighting terrorism in collaboration with the Pakistani government.

In a recent press conference on Thursday, the Deputy Press Secretary of Pentagon detailed the ongoing partnership between the US and Pakistan in tackling global terrorism.

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Singh said that it was important for the two countries to continue cooperation in combating terrorism.

The briefing also highlighted a significant dispute between the Afghan Taliban and both US and Pakistani officials over the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

The Chief of Staff of the Afghan Taliban, Fasihuddin Fitrat, vehemently rejected claims made by the Pentagon and Pakistani authorities regarding the presence of ISIS and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) within Afghan borders.

Fitrat dismissed the Pentagon’s allegations about ISIS as “unfounded”. He insisted that the global terrorist group has been “completely eradicated” from Afghan territory.

He accused the Pentagon of fabricating the claims and stated that any claims about ISIS operating in Afghanistan were “baseless” and “misleading”.

Regarding the TTP, Fitrat said that the group does not maintain any operational bases within his country. He described the concerns about TTP activities in Afghanistan as “unwarranted.”

The Taliban chief of state accused the TTP of using Pakistani territory to launch operations and create instability in the region.

The Afghan Taliban statements came in response to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif accusing the TTP of utilising Afghan territory for its operations.

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Meanwhile, DOD Press Secretary Major General Patrick Ryder stated that several terrorist groups were operating in Afghanistan, including ISIS. He criticised the Afghan Taliban’s failure in controlling these groups.

The US general declared it the responsibility of Afghan Taliban in eradicating their presence from within Afghanistan.