“This is an example of the longstanding partnership between the US and Pakistan in fighting terrorism, which has taken many terrorists off the battlefield over the past decade,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said of Pakistan’s announcement that it had captured Younes Al-Mauritani.

“We applaud the actions of Pakistan’s intelligence and security services that led to the capture of a senior Al-Qaeda operative who was involved in planning attacks against the interests of the United States and many other countries,” Earnest said in a statement issued while President Barack Obama was visiting Detroit for a Labor Day speech.