ISIS-K Aide Sentenced
ISIS-K Aide Receives Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Kabul Attack Support
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Key Points
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Sharifullah’s lawyers had sought a 17-year sentence, arguing that he was never an ISIS-K leader and had not been convicted of conduct directly linked to the Abbey Gate bombing; prosecutors requested the full 20 years.
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The Justice Department said Sharifullah participated in more than a dozen ISIS-K attacks from 2016 until his apprehension in 2025, including by transporting suicide bombers, operating communications and conducting surveillance.
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At sentencing, Mark Schmitz, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, told the defendant, “A bomb killed my son. It did not kill what he stood for,” emphasizing the family’s effort to preserve his son’s legacy.
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Pakistani forces arrested Sharifullah based on information from the CIA, after which he was transferred to U.S. custody; his capture was publicly highlighted by President Donald Trump, who had criticized the Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal.
Mohammad Sharifullah, an Afghan ISIS-K operative, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for providing material support to the terrorist group behind the August 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul's Abbey Gate IJR. The attack killed 13 U.S. service members and roughly 160 Afghan civilians during America's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Prosecutors said Sharifullah scouted the bomber's route to the airport and helped transport attackers, manage communications, and conduct surveillance for multiple ISIS-K operations.
A Virginia jury convicted Sharifullah on the support charge but deadlocked on whether he bore legal responsibility for the bombing deaths, which would have triggered a potential life sentence Kabul Tribune. Captured in Pakistan in 2025 based on CIA intelligence and extradited to the U.S., Sharifullah did not testify or address the court. The judge called him a dedicated terrorist who showed no remorse.
The Abbey Gate Bombing and Its Toll
On August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber detonated explosives at Kabul's Abbey Gate during the frantic U.S. military evacuation 24 News HD. The blast killed 13 American service members — the deadliest single incident for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in a decade — and approximately 160 Afghan civilians. The bombing marked one of the war's darkest hours, occurring as thousands of desperate Afghans and Americans crowded the airport seeking evacuation.
Sharifullah's Decade-Long ISIS-K Support Network
The Justice Department alleged that Sharifullah participated in more than a dozen ISIS-K attacks spanning from 2016 until his arrest in 2025 AAJ TV. His role extended beyond the Abbey Gate bombing: he transported suicide bombers to their targets, operated encrypted communications for the group, and conducted surveillance of potential sites. Prosecutors argued these activities made him a dangerous facilitator who deserved the full 20-year sentence.
Sharifullah's defense team had requested a 17-year sentence, contending he was never an ISIS-K leader and held no legal connection to the Abbey Gate deaths specifically Frontier Post. The judge rejected this argument, emphasizing Sharifullah's dedication to terrorism and complete lack of remorse throughout the proceedings. His refusal to testify or address the court reinforced the court's assessment of his callousness.
Family Remembrance Amid Justice
Mark Schmitz, father of slain Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, addressed Sharifullah directly at sentencing with a powerful message: "A bomb killed my son. It did not kill what he stood for." Family members of the 13 fallen service members attended the trial, describing the lasting devastation the bombing inflicted on their lives. Their presence underscored the human cost of ISIS-K's attack and the long road to accountability.
From Pakistan to Federal Prison
Pakistani forces arrested Sharifullah in 2025 based on intelligence provided by the CIA, after which U.S. authorities took him into custody and brought him to Virginia for trial IJR. President Donald Trump publicly highlighted the capture, using it to criticize the Biden administration's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. The case marked a rare successful prosecution of a direct participant in the Abbey Gate bombing plot.
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