A federal jury in Virginia on Wednesday convicted an Afghan man of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), the group responsible for the deadly suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 26, 2021.
kabul 24: The defendant, Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” was found guilty of participating in a years-long conspiracy to support the terrorist organization. However, the jury deadlocked on the more serious question of whether his actions directly resulted in the deaths caused by the attack, sparing him from a possible life sentence.
According to prosecutors, Sharifullah played a significant role by conducting reconnaissance near the airport and facilitating communications for ISIS-K operatives in the lead-up to the bombing at Abbey Gate.
The suicide attack occurred during the chaotic final days of the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, as thousands of desperate Afghans and foreign nationals crowded the airport trying to evacuate.
The explosion killed 13 American service members and approximately 160 Afghan civilians, making it one of the deadliest incidents during the American exit from the country.
The bomber was later identified as Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an ISIS-K militant who had been released from prison by the Taliban.While the jury unanimously agreed that Sharifullah provided material support to ISIS-K over nearly a decade and was involved in the group’s activities, it could not reach a consensus on whether he bore direct responsibility for the fatalities at Abbey Gate.
As a result, Sharifullah now faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison rather than life imprisonment. Sentencing date has not yet been scheduled by the federal judge.Defense attorneys argued that the government’s case relied too heavily on statements Sharifullah made during FBI interrogations after his arrest in 2025.
They claimed he may have exaggerated his role out of fear or coercion while in custody in Pakistan before being transferred to the United States, and that prosecutors failed to present sufficient independent evidence linking him to the specific planning of the airport attack.
This case marks the first criminal trial in the United States directly tied to the 2021 Kabul airport bombing.
The verdict comes amid ongoing public debate and political controversy surrounding the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, an operation widely criticized for its disorder and tragic loss of life.Prosecutors had portrayed Sharifullah as a committed ISIS-K member who thought nothing of planning attacks that killed civilians and soldiers alike.
The Justice Department emphasized that his conviction holds him accountable for supporting a terrorist organization responsible for multiple deadly operations, including the Abbey Gate bombing and others.
The mixed verdict reflects a partial victory for the defense in a high-profile terrorism prosecution. It also keeps the painful memories of that chaotic August day alive for the families of the fallen American troops and the many Afghan victims who lost loved ones in the blast.
