Afghan national sentenced to 20 years in US prison over Kabul airport bombing

An Afghan national was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a Virginia federal court on Wednesday for providing material support to Islamic State Khorasan (ISK), the terrorist organization responsible for the devastating August 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport.

What was Mohammad Sharifullah convicted of in US federal court?

Mohammad Sharifullah, who was extradited from Pakistan to the United States in March 2025, was sentenced in Alexandria, Virginia, following his conviction in April 2026 on one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Federal prosecutors had sought maximum penalties, arguing that Sharifullah played a critical operational role in a series of high-profile ISK attacks spanning nearly a decade.

Court documents and trial testimony revealed Sharifullah's extensive involvement in regional terrorism:

• Kabul Airport Bombing Allegations: Federal prosecutors alleged that Sharifullah scouted the transit route utilized by the suicide bomber who detonated explosives at Abbey Gate on August 26, 2021, killing 13 US service members and at least 170 Afghan civilians. While the jury convicted him of general conspiracy to support ISK, jurors deadlocked on charges specifically tying him directly to the airport blast.
• Attack on Canadian Embassy Security: Prosecutors tied Sharifullah to a June 2016 suicide bombing targeting Nepalese security guards protecting the Canadian Embassy in Kabul, alleging he conducted pre-attack surveillance and transported the bomber.
• Moscow Concert Hall Attack: US authorities further charged Sharifullah with providing tactical weapons instructions to ISK gunmen who carried out the March 2024 attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow.

How did the case proceed from extradition to sentencing?

Sharifullah was taken into custody by Pakistani law enforcement before being transferred to US custody in early 2025. During an address to Congress, US President Donald Trump had referred to Sharifullah as a key operative behind the airport tragedy.

Despite the jury's failure to reach a consensus on the Abbey Gate bombing charge, US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema handed down the 20-year statutory maximum sentence for the material support conviction, citing Sharifullah's sustained allegiance and active contributions to ISK's global terror campaign.