Additional Coverage:
- Abbey Gate terror suspect charged and extradited to the US (abcnews.go.com)
A key figure in three major terrorist attacks, including the devastating August 2021 suicide bombing at Abbey Gate in Kabul, is now in U.S. custody. Mohammad Sharifullah, identified as an ISIS-K operative, allegedly confessed his involvement in the attacks to FBI agents following his apprehension and Miranda warning.
According to a federal criminal complaint filed in Alexandria, Virginia, Sharifullah admitted to conducting surveillance for the Abbey Gate attack, preparing the suicide bomber and transporting him to the target location. The bomber detonated a body-worn improvised explosive device, tragically killing 13 U.S. service members and 160 civilians during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Sharifullah claims he was released from an Afghan prison just two weeks before the attack, likely as the Taliban regained control.
The complaint further alleges Sharifullah’s involvement in a June 2016 suicide bombing targeting the U.S. embassy in Kabul, which resulted in the deaths of 10 embassy guards and injuries to soldiers guarding the Canadian embassy. He is also implicated in a March 2024 attack on the Crocus City Hall concert venue near Moscow, where ISIS-K affiliated gunmen killed approximately 130 people using firearms and arson.
Sharifullah is charged with conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. U.S. officials state that he was arrested by Pakistani authorities last month and recently transferred to U.S. custody. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel acknowledged the joint efforts of the Justice Department, FBI, and CIA in securing Sharifullah’s extradition.
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- Abbey Gate terror suspect charged and extradited to the US (abcnews.go.com)