Mohammad Sharifullah Arrested; – The individual charged with orchestrating the 2021 Kabul airport bombing, which resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, is scheduled to appear in federal court on Wednesday.
During his address to Congress on Tuesday night, President Donald Trump announced the apprehension of Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as Jafar. Authorities allege that he is affiliated with the Islamic State’s Afghanistan branch, referred to as ISIS-Khorasan or ISIS-K, and claim that he confessed to his involvement in the bombing and other attacks during an interview with FBI agents following his arrest on Sunday.
The Abbey Gate bombings occurred in August 2021 when a suicide bomber targeted crowds of Afghans attempting to escape the Taliban’s takeover. In addition to the 13 U.S. service members, approximately 170 Afghans lost their lives in the incident. The bomber was later identified as Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an Islamic State militant who had previously been incarcerated in an Afghan prison but was released by the Taliban as they seized control of the country that summer.
“Three and a half years ago, ISIS terrorists killed 13 American service members and countless others in the Abbey Gate bombing during the disastrous and incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Trump stated to Congress. “It was not merely the act of withdrawing, but the manner in which it was executed. Perhaps the most embarrassing moment in our nation’s history.
Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have apprehended the primary terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is currently en route to face the swift hand of American justice. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the government of Pakistan for their assistance in capturing this individual.”
Senior Pakistani intelligence officials, who requested anonymity due to their lack of authorization to speak with the media, indicated that Sharifullah had joined the militant organization in 2016 and had participated in numerous attacks throughout Afghanistan.
FBI Director Kash Patel shared images on X of himself alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi and CIA Director John Ratcliffe as they monitored Sharifullah’s situation.
