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ISIS-K Terrorist Jailed 20 Years for Abbey Gate Role
17 Sep
Summary
- Terrorist Mohammad Sharifullah sentenced to 20 years for role in Abbey Gate attack.
- He scouted a clear route to the airport for the suicide bomber.
- Sharifullah was captured in Pakistan and prosecuted in Virginia.
Mohammad Sharifullah, an operative for the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. A jury convicted him in April for his participation in a conspiracy to aid ISIS-K. This sentence, the maximum allowed, stems from his involvement in the August 26, 2021, Abbey Gate attack during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
ISIS-K leadership had tasked Sharifullah with surveilling a route to Hamid Karzai International Airport. He confirmed the route was clear of Taliban checkpoints, enabling the subsequent suicide bombing by an operative he knew from an Afghan prison. This devastating attack claimed the lives of 13 U.S. military personnel and approximately 160 Afghan civilians.
Sharifullah was apprehended in Pakistan in 2025 and extradited to the United States for prosecution. His sentencing in Alexandria, Virginia, was attended by Gold Star parents, including Mark Schmitz, whose son was killed in the bombing. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga described Sharifullah as a "dedicated terrorist" and highlighted his lack of remorse.
