WASHINGTON, Sept 5: Pakistan deserved credit for their hard investigative and operational work in taking deadly threats like Al Qaeda leader Younis Al-Mauritani off the battlefield, the White House said on Monday.

Al-Mauritani was responsible for conducting international operations.  White House spokesman Josh Earnest also endorsed Pakistan’s claim that Al-Mauritani had been involved in plotting attacks on interests of US and its allies.

“There is clearly more to be done, and both sides recognise the imperative of acting together against these dangerous targets.”

He said the US continued to work with “our partner Pakistan”, to achieve the central goal of dismantling, disrupting, and defeating Al Qaeda. He noted the Al Qaeda elements hiding in Pakistan were a threat to both the Pakistanis and Americans and that’s why the US would continue to cooperate with them.—Anwar Iqbal