U.S. Trial Opens for Suspect in 2021 Kabul Airport Bombing

The federal trial of Mohammad Sharifullah, accused of aiding the August 2021 bombing at Kabul’s Abbey Gate, has opened in Alexandria, Virginia. Prosecutors allege that Sharifullah joined ISIS-Khorasan around 2016 and provided reconnaissance and financial support for the attack, which killed 13 U.S. service members and approximately 160 Afghan civilians.

During opening statements, defense attorneys argued that U.S. authorities detained the wrong individual and claimed that Sharifullah provided a false confession under duress. The defense also suggested that the attack may have involved coordination with Taliban-aligned security elements. Prosecutors maintain that the actual suicide bomber was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an ISIS-K militant previously released by the Taliban.

Sharifullah was apprehended in Pakistan in early 2025 and transferred to the United States. The case is being heard before a 12-member jury. AP News reported that three alternate jurors were also selected, while Khaama Press noted that U.S. investigators have additionally linked the defendant to providing training for the 2024 ISIS attack on a Moscow concert hall.

Court proceedings are expected to continue for approximately one week. Both sides will present testimony and forensic evidence regarding the defendant’s alleged role in facilitating the airport bombing and his purported connections to broader transnational militant networks.