# ISIS-K member gets 20 years for Kabul airport bombing

> An Afghan man was sentenced for aiding the terrorist group behind a 2021 suicide attack that killed 13 US troops and 160 Afghans.
- Title: ISIS-K member gets 20 years for Kabul airport bombing
- Summary: An Afghan man was sentenced for aiding the terrorist group behind a 2021 suicide attack that killed 13 US troops and 160 Afghans. Mohammad Sharifullah…
- Keywords: mohammad sharifullah, isis-k, kabul airport bombing, august 26 2021, material support to terrorism, afghanistan withdrawal, abbey gate, us service members killed, sentencing, news, local, member
- Source: ABC7 Los Angeles — https://abc7.com/post/mohammad-sharifullah-sentenced-20-year-prison-term-case-tied-2021-suicide-bombing-kabul-afghanistan-airport/19840237
- Published: 2026-09-16T18:30:51+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mohammad sharifullah, isis-k, kabul airport bombing, august 26 2021, material support to terrorism, afghanistan withdrawal, abbey gate, us service members killed, sentencing, news, local
## ISIS-K member sentenced to 20 years
Mohammad Sharifullah was convicted of providing material support to ISIS-K, the terrorist group that claimed responsibility for the August 2021 Kabul airport bombing.
## The Kabul airport attack explained
On August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at Abbey Gate during the US military evacuation, killing 13 American service members and about 160 Afghans.
## Sharifullah's alleged role
Prosecutors said Sharifullah scouted a route to Hamid Karzai International Airport to aid the attack, though jurors deadlocked on whether he bore direct responsibility for deaths.
## Jury conviction but deadlock
A Virginia jury convicted Sharifullah in April of material support to ISIS-K but could not unanimously agree whether deaths at the airport resulted from his actions.
## Defense argued weak evidence
Sharifullah's lawyers said prosecutors failed to present evidence tying him to the bombing beyond his own statements during FBI questioning, which he may have made under duress.

> He was brought here because the government believed he participated in the Abbey Gate attack, a theory which it was unable to prove at trial.
## Victim impact statements delivered
Parents of killed service members spoke directly to Sharifullah in court, including Mark Schmitz, whose 20-year-old son Marine Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz was killed in the attack.

> They may have taken his life, but they'll never take his legacy. A bomb killed my son. It did not kill what he stood for.
## Judge called him dedicated terrorist
US District Judge Anthony Trenga imposed the maximum 20-year sentence, calling Sharifullah a dedicated terrorist who showed no remorse for the unfathomable suffering he caused.
## Sharifullah's history with ISIS-K
Prosecutors said Sharifullah pledged allegiance to ISIS-K as a teenager and was driven by hatred of Americans. He was also allegedly involved in a March 2024 Moscow concert hall attack that killed roughly 140 people.
## Key takeaway

Mohammad Sharifullah received the maximum 20-year sentence for providing material support to ISIS-K, though jurors couldn't agree he was directly responsible for the airport bombing.