The U.S. has taken custody of Mohammad Sharifullah, a key suspect in the deadly 2021 suicide bombing at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan, after his extradition from Pakistan. The bombing killed 13 U.S. soldiers and over 160 civilians as the U.S. was withdrawing from Afghanistan.
Sharifullah, an alleged ISIS-K operative, is accused of playing a pivotal role in planning and executing multiple high-profile attacks. According to a criminal complaint filed in Alexandria, Virginia, Sharifullah admitted to FBI agents that he was responsible for conducting surveillance for the suicide bomber involved in the Abbey Gate attack. The bomber used a body-worn explosive device to carry out the assault.
The suspect also allegedly participated in the June 2016 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Kabul, which killed 10 embassy guards and injured several others, including personnel at the Canadian embassy. In addition, Sharifullah is linked to the March 2024 ISIS-K attack on Crocus City Hall in Moscow, where 130 people were killed.
Sharifullah, who was imprisoned in Afghanistan from 2019 until his release by the Taliban before the Abbey Gate attack, has been charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization that resulted in death.
Pakistani authorities arrested Sharifullah last month, and following his extradition, U.S. officials now hold him in custody. The operation to apprehend him involved coordination between the Justice Department, FBI, and CIA, as confirmed by FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi in separate posts on social media.
