U.S. Federal Court Convicts Afghan Citizen in Kabul Airport Attack Case

The United States Department of Justice announced that a federal jury has convicted Mohammad Sharifullah, an Afghan national, on charges of supporting ISIS-K in connection with multiple attacks, including the 2021 bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport. According to the statement, Sharifullah was involved in a “long-running conspiracy” to provide material support to ISIS-K and could face up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said he surveyed the route leading to the airport on August 26, 2021, and monitored Taliban checkpoints ahead of the attack. On the same day, a suicide bomber carried out an explosion at the Abbey Gate of the airport. U.S. officials identified the attacker as Abdul Rahman al-Logari. The attack killed 13 U.S. service members and around 160 Afghan civilians. However, the jury did not reach a conclusion that Sharifullah’s actions directly caused the deaths—a determination that could have led to a life sentence. The case was heard in the U.S. state of Virginia, where the verdict was delivered after approximately eight hours of deliberation. A sentencing date has not yet been announced.