On March 2, the United States charged Mohammad Sharifullah, a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K, with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. He is now in U.S. custody.
On August 26, 2021, American and other Coalition military forces were conducting an evacuation operation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Abbey Gate was the main entry point for the operation. Thousands of civilians were at Abbey Gate for evacuation.
Around 5:30 that evening, ISIS-K member Abdul Rahman al-Logari detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians.
During an interview with FBI Special Agents on March 2, after waiving his Miranda rights, Sharifullah admitted to helping prepare for the Abbey Gate attack. Sharifullah specifically checked for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints; he then communicated to other ISIS-K members that he believed the route was clear and that the attacker would not be detected. Sharifullah also admitted to supporting and conducting activities on behalf of ISIS-K in multiple other lethal attacks.
“This evil ISIS-K terrorist orchestrated the brutal murder of 13 heroic service members,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under President Trump’s strong leadership on the world stage, this Department of Justice will ensure that terrorists like Mohammad Sharifullah have no safe haven, no second chances, and no worse enemy than the United States of America.”
“The lethal attack that killed 13 American service members and Afghan civilians during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was an act of terrorism,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “ISIS-K brazenly claimed responsibility for the carnage. Now thanks to the assistance of the FBI, Department of Justice, and the CIA, we have secured Sharifullah’s apprehension. ... The FBI will never forget the loss of these American heroes, we will continue to hunt down those who viciously murdered our warriors, we will find all responsible and bring them to justice.”
“Our message to those who have been impacted by these horrific crimes is that you are not forgotten,” declared U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to pursue justice no matter how long or how far it takes us.”
If convicted, Sharifullah faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.