Pakistan helps US arrest terrorist behind 2021 Kabul attack, Trump says 'thank you'

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that US forces have apprehended the mastermind behind the 2021 Abbey Gate attack, which killed 13 service members during the Afghanistan withdrawal. The arrest of the mastermind, Muhammad Sharifullah, was made with the assistance of Pakistan.

Trump gave the update during his first address to Congress in his second term.

Sharifullah was captured near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and is currently being brought to the US to face justice.

“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,” Trump said.

Trump also acknowledged the role of the Pakistani government in the arrest, saying, “I want to thank especially the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster.”

Trump said that he had spoken to many of the victims’ parents and loved ones. “They’re all in our hearts tonight. I just spoke to them on the phone. We had a big call—everyone called, and everybody was on the line, and they did nothing but cry with happiness.”

Trump’s first address to Congress in second term of office

Trump shared the update in his first address to Congress on Tuesday since taking charge of the White House for his second term.

Abbey Gate bombing

The Abbey Gate bombing during the US withdrawal killed 13 American troops and about 170 Afghan civilians. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the attack.

During the attack, a suicide bomber detonated explosives at Abbey Gate, one of the entrances to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The Islamic State’s Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack.