Additional Coverage:
Afghan National Faces Trial for Role in 2021 Kabul Airport Suicide Bombing
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – On Monday, federal court proceedings began against Mohammad Sharifullah, an Afghan national accused of involvement in the deadly 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. The attack, which took place amid the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, claimed the lives of over 180 people, including 13 American service members.
Sharifullah, also known by the alias “Jafar,” faces charges of providing and conspiring to provide material support to ISIS-K, a designated foreign terrorist organization, resulting in deaths. He has entered a plea of not guilty.
Following jury selection, opening statements were delivered, and witness testimonies commenced. Should Sharifullah be found guilty, he faces the possibility of life imprisonment.
The bombing occurred on August 26, 2021, as thousands of civilians gathered at the airport’s Abbey Gate amid efforts by U.S. and coalition forces to evacuate personnel and Afghan allies. At approximately 5:36 p.m., ISIS-K operative Abdul Rahman al-Logari detonated a suicide vest, causing devastating casualties.
Prosecutors presented evidence including Sharifullah’s post-arrest interviews, in which he allegedly admitted to assisting in the attack’s preparation. This included scouting routes near the airport to ensure the attacker could enter undetected, monitoring checkpoints controlled by American, Taliban, or local law enforcement forces, and relaying this information to ISIS-K operatives.
Court documents indicate Sharifullah had been incarcerated until roughly two weeks before the bombing and claimed he was recruited upon release, receiving a motorcycle and cellphone to aid in the operation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gibbs highlighted Sharifullah’s cooperation after capture, noting his participation in multiple interviews spanning locations in Pakistan, during transit to the U.S., and on American soil. “You will hear his words, and you will see a great deal of evidence of his guilt,” Gibbs stated during opening remarks.
In contrast, Federal Public Defender Geremy Kamens asserted Sharifullah’s innocence, arguing that his statements were made under duress and that he was wrongly accused. “This man, Mohammad Sharifullah, had nothing to do with it,” Kamens declared. “The question in this case is not really about what happened, but about who is responsible.”
The prosecution also introduced expert testimony from Georgetown University’s Bruce Hoffman, a specialist in terrorism and counterterrorism. Hoffman described the operational methods of ISIS and characterized the chaotic conditions at Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal as “complete pandemonium.”
During cross-examination, Sharifullah’s defense sought to shift responsibility toward the Taliban, emphasizing their control over Kabul and Afghanistan during the days preceding the bombing.
Notably, in April 2023, the Taliban reportedly killed an ISIS-K figure identified as the mastermind behind the Abbey Gate attack, an action confirmed to have occurred without U.S. involvement. The Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, including the events surrounding the bombing, has faced widespread criticism.
The trial continues as the court examines the extent of Sharifullah’s alleged participation in this tragic event and related attacks.