U.S. Federal Jury Convicts Afghan National in Connection with Kabul Airport Attack

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 that on August 26, 2021, he conducted surveillance of the route leading to the airport and monitored Taliban checkpoints prior to the हमला. On the same day, a suicide bomber carried out an attack 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 approximately 160 Afghan civilians. However, the jury did not reach a unanimous conclusion that Sharifullah’s actions directly caused the deaths—an element that could have resulted in a life sentence if proven. The case was heard in the state of Virginia, where the verdict was delivered after roughly eight hours of deliberation. A sentencing date has not yet been announced.