Mohammad Sharifullah, accused of aiding the 2021 bombing of the Kabul airport, is held in custody as he arrives in the US.
Mohammad Sharifullah, a suspected member of the terrorist group ISIS-K, has been charged by the United States for his involvement in a deadly attack during a high-tension evacuation operation at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. On August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber associated with ISIS-K detonated an explosive at Abbey Gate, a main entry point, killing 13 U.S. service members and approximately 160 civilians.
Sharifullah, now in U.S. custody, admitted during a March 2 interview—after agreeing to speak without a lawyer—that he had helped prepare for the attack. He checked for any security presence and ensured the attacker’s path was clear. He also confessed to coordinating several other lethal operations for ISIS-K.
The capture of Sharifullah highlighted a yearslong investigation between the U.S. and Pakistan where Sharifullah was captured.
The recent bombings in Moscow and Kabul have emphasized the ongoing threat from groups like ISIS-K, stressing the importance of sustained international counterterrorism cooperation.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi remarked, “This ISIS-K terrorist orchestrated the brutal murder of 13 heroic service members. Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. will ensure that terrorists like Sharifullah find no safe haven.”
If convicted, Sharifullah faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.