US Jury Convicts Afghan National in Connection with 2021 Kabul Airport Bombing
A federal jury in Virginia has convicted Afghan national Mohammad Sharifullah of conspiring to provide material support to ISIS-Khorasan in connection with the August 2021 Kabul airport bombing. The attack killed 13 United States service members and approximately 160 Afghan civilians.
Jurors reached a verdict on the material support charge but deadlocked on whether Sharifullah’s actions directly caused the fatalities. As a result, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years rather than a mandatory life term. US District Judge Anthony Trenga will oversee the sentencing phase, though a final date has not yet been scheduled.
During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Sharifullah assisted the militant group by conducting reconnaissance and facilitating communications ahead of the attack. Defense attorneys contested the reliability of statements Sharifullah provided during FBI interrogations. The conviction marks the first US criminal trial directly linked to the airport bombing.
Additional allegations presented during the proceedings reportedly connected Sharifullah to other militant operations, including a 2016 attack on security personnel near the Canadian embassy in Kabul and a 2024 attack on a concert hall in Moscow. His arrest was publicly announced in February 2025 following coordination between US and Pakistani authorities.
Sharifullah remains in federal custody pending sentencing. The case underscores ongoing US legal efforts to hold individuals accountable for attacks targeting American personnel and Afghan civilians during the final stages of the 2021 military withdrawal.
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Where reports agree
- Mohammad Sharifullah was convicted in a US federal court in Virginia for material support to ISIS-K regarding the August 26, 2021 Kabul airport bombing.
- The attack resulted in the deaths of 13 US service members and approximately 160 Afghan civilians.
- The jury was deadlocked on whether Sharifullah's actions directly caused the fatalities, resulting in a maximum sentence of 20 years rather than life imprisonment.
- A final sentencing date has not yet been scheduled by the presiding judge.
- Prosecutors stated that Sharifullah's role involved conducting reconnaissance and facilitating communications ahead of the attack.
Where reports differ
- Amu TV reports Sharifullah was also linked to a 2016 Kabul embassy attack and a 2024 Moscow concert hall attack, details not mentioned by Ariana News or Pajhwok.
- Pajhwok notes the arrest was announced in February 2025 by Donald Trump following cooperation with Pakistan, which is absent from the other two reports.
- Amu TV identifies the suicide bomber as Abdul Rahman al-Logari and specifies an eight-hour jury deliberation period, details omitted by Ariana News and Pajhwok.
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