WASHINGTON: In a major development, the US Department of State acknowledged Pakistan’s unmatched sacrifices and contributions in the war against terrorism and said that the Pakistani nation suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller made these comments while addressing a news briefing in Washington on Monday.

“The Pakistani people have suffered greatly at the hands of terrorists.”

The Pakistani nation and the armed forces rendered matchless sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. The country lost more than 80,000 lives at the hands of the terrorists, apart from massive economic losses. The people and the forces successfully fought a long battle spanning over a decade to get rid of the menace of terrorism.

Only in 2023, more than 260 officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army laid down their lives in the line of duty. In addition to this, at least 750 civilions lost their lives in the terror attacks last year, according to the data shared by APP.

Miller further said that they have a shared interest in threats to regional security.

“We partner with a range of Pakistani civilian institutions and regularly engage with the Pakistani government to identify opportunities to build capacity and strengthen regional security, including in our annual high-level counter-terrorism dialogue.