ALEXANDRIA, Va. — An individual suspected of involvement in the devastating Kabul airport suicide bombing, which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians, has arrived in the United States to face legal charges related to the incident. The suspect, Mohammad Sharifullah, was detained over the weekend and reportedly admitted to U.S. officials during an FBI interview that he is associated with the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan and participated in the attack that took place in August 2021.
During a recent address to Congress, President Donald Trump announced the arrest, stating to the audience that they had captured the “top terrorist responsible for that atrocity,” and emphasized the imminent arrival of Sharifullah for prosecution under U.S. law. Senior intelligence officials from Pakistan confirmed Sharifullah’s capture on Wednesday, noting that he was apprehended in the volatile region of Balochistan near the Afghan border after several failed attempts.
Sharifullah faces charges in a Virginia federal court for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. During his court appearance, he was seen wearing a light-blue prison uniform and listened through headphones with an interpreter translating the proceedings into his language. His public defender refrained from making any comments post-hearing, with Sharifullah set to remain in custody until at least the next detention hearing scheduled for Monday.
The suicide bombing at Abbey Gate occurred during a period when the U.S. military was organizing an airlift for individuals fleeing the Taliban’s takeover amid the military withdrawal from Afghanistan. This attack not only claimed American lives but also raised substantial criticism towards the Biden administration’s management of the war’s conclusion. An FBI affidavit included in the case file recounts Sharifullah’s admission of joining the Islamic State-Khorasan in 2016 and planning operations from prison, as well as instructions he received for the Kabul attack.
Prosecutors say Sharifullah was provided with a motorcycle, a cell phone, and communication instructions to coordinate the bombing. He confessed to helping by clearing a path for the bomber to reach the airport. The affidavit states that, after being instructed to leave the area, Sharifullah learned the identity of the bomber, Abdul Rahman al-Logari, who had been released from prison by the Taliban. Sharifullah also disclosed his involvement in a separate attack at a Moscow concert hall in March 2024 where firearms and weaponry expertise were shared with ISIS-K operatives orchestrating that incident.
Sharifullah had previously been captured by Afghan authorities in 2019 but managed to escape during the chaos when the Taliban seized Kabul on August 15, 2021. Pakistani officials revealed that Sharifullah masterminded the bombing from prison in collaboration with senior militant figures and evaded capture until he was ultimately apprehended in a joint U.S.-Pakistan intelligence operation.
Acknowledging the successful arrest, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to President Trump for recognizing Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism in the region and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to ensuring peace and stability through continued partnership with the United States.
From Kabul, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid refrained from elaborate comments but remarked that the arrest on Pakistani soil highlights that IS militants have found refuge and established sanctuaries within Pakistan. Mujahid emphasized that this issue doesn’t pertain to Afghanistan itself, referencing the rivalry between the Taliban and IS.
President Trump has consistently criticized President Biden’s withdrawal strategy from Afghanistan, citing the Abbey Gate attack as a significant failure. However, a U.S. Central Command review from the previous year concluded that the attack was unpreventable, despite some service members’ belief in having an opportunity to neutralize the bomber.
According to a U.S. official speaking anonymously, Sharifullah’s capture was the result of enhanced coordination within the U.S. intelligence community, bolstered intelligence-sharing efforts, and pressure on regional allies, intensifying since Trump assumed office in January.
