A federal jury in Virginia has convicted an Afghan man for his role in the 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport that killed 13 US service members and around 160 Afghan civilians.
The Verdict
According to Beyond Time News, Mohammad Sharifullah was found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organisation. The jury deadlocked on whether his actions directly caused the deaths, sparing him from a life sentence. He still faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Attack
On 26 August 2021, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest at Abbey Gate during the final days of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, killing 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman, and one Army soldier alongside around 160 Afghan civilians.
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Sharifullah’s Role
Prosecutors said Sharifullah assisted ISIS-K by conducting reconnaissance and facilitating communications ahead of the attack. Defense attorneys argued the government relied too heavily on his FBI interrogation statements without independently proving his involvement.
How He Was Caught
According to Beyond Time News, Sharifullah was arrested in Pakistan near the Afghan border during President Trump’s second term, following a joint operation by Pakistani security forces, the FBI, and the CIA. This case marked the first US criminal trial linked to the Abbey Gate bombing.
