Commander of U.S. Central Command General James Mattis departed Pakistan after a series of meetings with senior Pakistani leaders.
Before leaving, Mattis and Commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force General John Allen discussed with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and other senior military officials a wide range of common security issues, including militant network activities and improving cross-border cooperation, said a press release issued here on Thursday.
General Mattis acknowledged the sacrifices made by the Pakistani military in their fight against violent extremists, and offered his condolences for Pakistani military personnel who have fallen in support of that cause.
This was the first visit by a senior U.S. military official since last winter.
General Mattis and General Allen were grateful for the time afforded them by their Pakistani counterparts and reaffirmed the importance of the Pak-US security relationship not only to ongoing operations in Afghanistan but also to regional stability.