The United States does not want Afghanistan to be a safe haven for terrorists, and the State Department confirmed that it works with Pakistan on counterterrorism cooperation on a regular basis.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, the State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel, made the aforementioned comment in response to a question concerning the Taliban’s expansionism in the region and the state of security in Pakistan, Kabul’s next-door neighbor.
“Well, look, we’ve made it quite clear that we don’t want Afghanistan to be or become a safe haven for terrorists. And when it comes to counterterrorism collaboration with our Pakistani allies, that’s something we engage with them on pretty regularly, in addition to other key bilateral meetings with them.”
Washington’s statement on Pakistan’s security situation and its link to Afghanistan comes a day after it expressed regret for the loss of life in an attack on Pakistan on Monday as a result of Pakistani forces conducting intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in border regions inside Afghanistan against terrorists launching attacks from Afghan soil.
Pakistan conducted the operation following the March 16 attack in North Waziristan’s Mir Ali area, which killed at least seven Pakistan Army soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel and captain.
“We urge the Taliban to refrain from launching terrorist acts from Afghan soil, and we urge Pakistan to show caution and protect civilians during counterterrorism operations.
