From the Guardian · Associated Press · · 1m 50s
IS member gets 20 years for Kabul airport bombing role
Mohammad Sharifullah was convicted of aiding the terrorist group behind a 2021 suicide attack that killed 13 US troops and 160 Afghans.
In brief
Mohammad Sharifullah was convicted of aiding the terrorist group behind a 2021 suicide attack that killed 13 US troops and 160 Afghans. A federal jury convicted an Islamic State member of providing material support to the group that claimed responsibility for the Kabul airport bombing, though jurors deadlocked on…
IS member sentenced for airport bombing
Mohammad Sharifullah, 28, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aiding the Islamic State Khorasan Province, the group that claimed the August 2021 Kabul airport suicide bombing.
The attack killed 13 US troops
On August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device near Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the US military evacuation, killing 13 service members and about 160 Afghans.
Sharifullah scouted the route
Prosecutors said Sharifullah's role was scouting a route to the airport for the attack. A jury convicted him of material support to ISKP but deadlocked on whether he caused any deaths.
Defense: no direct bombing evidence
Sharifullah's lawyers argued prosecutors presented no evidence tying him to the bombing beyond his own words during FBI questioning, which he may have given under fear of torture.
“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.”
Parents delivered impact statements
Families of killed service members spoke at sentencing. Mark Schmitz, whose 20-year-old son Jared was killed, said a bomb took his life but not his legacy.
“They may have taken his life, but they'll never take his legacy.”
Sharifullah pledged allegiance as teenager
Prosecutors said Sharifullah pledged an oath to ISKP as a teenager and was driven by hatred of Americans. He also allegedly participated in other attacks, including a 2024 Moscow concert hall assault.
Trump cited case in Congress speech
Sharifullah received the maximum 20-year sentence for his one-count conviction. Donald Trump highlighted the case during a joint session of Congress speech last year.
The bottom line
A federal jury convicted an Islamic State member of providing material support to the group that claimed responsibility for the Kabul airport bombing, though jurors deadlocked on whether he directly caused any deaths.
