Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) General James Mattis has acknowledged the sacrifices made by the Pakistani military in their fight against violent extremists.
He made the acknowledgement after concluding successful meetings with Pakistani leaders.
General Mattis held talks with Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Secretary of Defense Lt Gen (Retd.) Asif Yasin Malik and other senior military officials on a wide range of issues including militant network activities and measures to improve cross-border cooperation, according to US embassy spokesperson.
General Mattis acknowledged the sacrifices made by the Pakistani military in their fight against violent extremists, and offered his condolences for the nearly 5,000 Pakistani military personnel who have lost their lives in support of the cause.
He reaffirmed the importance of the US-Pakistan security relationship – not only to ongoing operations in Afghanistan but also to regional stability.
They agreed to continue to meet periodically to further common objectives on cross-border cooperation and regional security.
US acknowledges Pak sacrifices
