Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Afghan Man Sentenced to 20 Years in ISIS-K Case
A man named Mohammad Sharifullah was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
A jury found that he helped ISIS-K, an Islamic State affiliate.
The group claimed responsibility for a bombing at Kabul airport in 2021.
The bombing killed 13 United States service members and about 160 Afghans.
Prosecutors said Sharifullah helped by scouting a route to the airport.
The jury could not agree that he was responsible for the deaths in the bombing.
His lawyers said the government did not prove that he helped carry out the bombing.
The judge called him a dedicated terrorist and said he showed no remorse.
Mohammad Sharifullah received the maximum 20-year sentence for providing material support to ISIS-K.
The August 26, 2021, Abbey Gate bombing killed 13 United States service members and about 160 Afghans.
A Virginia jury convicted Sharifullah of supporting ISIS-K but deadlocked on whether he was responsible for deaths in the bombing.
Prosecutors said Sharifullah scouted a route to Hamid Karzai International Airport and was involved in other attacks.
Defense lawyers argued that no evidence tied him to the bombing beyond statements made during FBI questioning.
- Who
- Mohammad Sharifullah, whom a federal jury convicted of providing material support to ISIS-K.
- What
- He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a case connected to the Abbey Gate bombing.
- When
- The sentence was imposed Wednesday; the bombing occurred on August 26, 2021.
- Where
- The case was heard in federal court in Virginia, and the bombing occurred at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.
- Why
- Prosecutors said Sharifullah aided ISIS-K, while the defense argued that his involvement in the bombing was not proven.
Prosecution and Court
Defense
Sharifullah’s role
Prosecution and Court
Prosecutors said Sharifullah was a dedicated ISIS-K member, scouted a route to the airport, and was involved in other attacks.
Defense
Defense lawyers said he was not an ISIS-K leader and that the government failed to prove he participated in the Abbey Gate bombing.
Evidence linking him to the bombing
Prosecution and Court
Prosecutors pointed to Sharifullah’s alleged statements and his reported recognition of the suspected bomber, Abdul Rahman al-Logari.
Defense
The defense argued that the case relied on statements made during FBI questioning, when Sharifullah may have said what he thought agents wanted to hear because he feared torture.
Appropriate punishment
Prosecution and Court
Prosecutors requested the maximum 20-year sentence, and the judge described Sharifullah as a dedicated terrorist who showed no remorse.
Defense
Sharifullah requested a 17-year sentence, and his lawyers emphasized that he was not convicted of conduct directly causing the airport bombing deaths.
- Sentence
- 20 years in federal prison
- Conviction
- Providing material support to ISIS-K
- Bombing date
- August 26, 2021
- Bombing location
- Abbey Gate, Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul
- Reported casualties
- 13 United States service members and about 160 Afghans killed
- Jury decision
- Convicted on material-support charge; deadlocked on responsibility for bombing deaths
- Possible maximum penalty
- Life in prison if the jury had unanimously found the deaths resulted from the conspiracy