WASHINGTON: An Afghan terrorist and ISIS-K operative has been sentenced to 20 years in a US prison for his role in the 2021 Abbey Gate suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American troops and at least 160 civilians, according to the US Department of Justice.
Mohammad Sharifullah, a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), was convicted of providing material support and resources to the designated terrorist organisation and participating in a series of attacks over nearly a decade, the department said.
Sharifullah was later apprehended with the assistance of Pakistani authorities and was subsequently transferred to the United States.
The US has publicly acknowledged Pakistan’s cooperation in bringing him to justice, with State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce thanking Islamabad for its partnership and saying the two countries share a common interest in combating terrorism.
US President Donald Trump has also recognised Pakistan’s assistance in the case.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, ISIS-K leadership tasked Sharifullah with surveilling a road leading to Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 26, 2021, while US and coalition forces were conducting an evacuation operation following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Sharifullah travelled along the assigned route and informed ISIS-K leaders that it was clear of Taliban checkpoints, according to the Justice Department.
At approximately 5:36 pm, ISIS-K operative Abdul Rahman al-Logari, whom Sharifullah had previously known while both were imprisoned in Afghanistan, detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 US military personnel and approximately 160 civilians.
The Justice Department said Sharifullah was also involved in numerous other ISIS-K attacks between 2016 and his apprehension in 2025.
On June 20, 2016, he conducted surveillance in preparation for a suicide bombing targeting Nepali security guards protecting the Canadian Embassy in Kabul and later transported the bomber to the attack site, according to court records.
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Sharifullah was also involved in the March 22, 2024, ISIS-K attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow, Russia, in which more than 100 civilians were killed.
The Justice Department said Sharifullah provided attackers with instructions on using AK-style rifles and other weapons and remained in communication with them during the attack.
In total, Sharifullah participated in more than a dozen ISIS-K attacks from 2016 until his apprehension in 2025, carrying out roles that included surveillance, transporting suicide bombers and weapons, communicating with ISIS-K operatives and recording explosions for the group’s propaganda, the department said.
Sharifullah was apprehended in 2025 and subsequently brought to the United States to face federal charges. He was convicted by a federal jury in April 2026 before being sentenced to 20 years in prison in September.
The US Department of Justice said the sentence holds Sharifullah accountable for his role in supporting ISIS-K operations and the Abbey Gate attack.
