Virginia: A suspect linked to the deadly 2021 suicide bombing outside Kabul Airport was presented in a U.S. court in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday.
The U.S. Department of Justice identified the suspect as Mohammad Sharifullah, who has reportedly admitted involvement in multiple terrorist attacks, including the recent Moscow attack in March 2024.
Sharifullah confessed to providing video instructions to attackers on using Kalashnikov rifles and other weapons. He also stated that he was responsible for surveying the streets of Kabul before the attack and relaying information to ISIS, which then sent the suicide bomber. He claimed to have known the bomber since their time in prison.
The suicide bombing occurred on August 26, 2021, during the U.S. military’s evacuation from Afghanistan. The attack killed 13 U.S. service members and over 170 Afghan civilians. ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack.
U.S. authorities confirmed that Sharifullah was arrested by Pakistani officials before being transferred to the United States on Wednesday morning. In court, he was provided with a defense attorney and a translator but did not enter a plea. The judge scheduled his next hearing for Monday.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the arrest during his address to Congress on Tuesday night, stating, "I am pleased to announce tonight that the terrorist responsible for the brutal attack at [Kabul Airport] has been captured. He is now on his way here to face the swift justice of America. I thank the Pakistani government for their assistance in apprehending this individual."
In response, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reiterated that while the attacker was affiliated with ISIS, his arrest in Pakistan validated the Taliban’s claim that ISIS does not operate from Afghanistan but instead uses Pakistani territory to conduct operations.
Sharifullah is facing charges of conspiring to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, an offense that carries severe legal consequences in the U.S.
