From Fox News · Louis Casiano · · 1m 40s
ISIS-K militant sentenced for Abbey Gate bombing
A terrorist who helped plan the 2021 Kabul airport attack that killed 13 US service members receives 20 years in prison.
In brief
A terrorist who helped plan the 2021 Kabul airport attack that killed 13 US service members receives 20 years in prison. Mohammed Sharifullah was convicted of providing material support to ISIS-K for the August 2021 Abbey Gate suicide bombing, one of the deadliest attacks on American troops during the Afghanistan…
ISIS-K militant sentenced to 20 years
Mohammed Sharifullah, an ISIS-K member, was convicted of providing material support for the deadly Abbey Gate bombing at Kabul airport in August 2021.
13 US troops killed in the attack
On August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near Abbey Gate, killing 13 American service members and over 160 Afghans during evacuation operations.
Sharifullah scouted the attack route
During FBI interviews, Sharifullah admitted he surveilled a possible route for the suicide bomber to Abbey Gate, checking for law enforcement and checkpoints.
“Sharifullah conducted surveillance on a route, specifically checking for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints.”
ISIS-K provided logistics and instructions
ISIS-K members gave Sharifullah a motorcycle, phone funds, a SIM card, and instructions to open a social media account to communicate with them during the attack.
Jury deadlocked on death causation
Jurors could not unanimously agree whether deaths at the airport resulted from the conspiracy, which prevented Sharifullah from facing a possible life sentence.
Father says sentence is insufficient
Mark Schmitz, whose son Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz was killed in the bombing, said the 20-year sentence is not enough for someone involved in such a heinous act.
“The terrorist bombing took my son physically from me. They can never take his legacy as a human being.”
Trump announced Sharifullah's capture
President Trump announced Sharifullah's apprehension during a March 2025 address to Congress, calling him the top terrorist responsible for the Abbey Gate attack.
Here's the gist
Mohammed Sharifullah was convicted of providing material support to ISIS-K for the August 2021 Abbey Gate suicide bombing, one of the deadliest attacks on American troops during the Afghanistan withdrawal.
