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A man convicted of providing material support to the Islamic State terror group in connection with the deadly Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 American service members during the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Mohammed Sharifullah, an alleged militant with ISIS-K, a regional branch of the terrorist group, was convicted in April of a conspiracy charge in a deadly 2021 suicide bombing at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
During his trial, jurors deadlocked on whether any deaths at the airport “resulted from” that conspiracy. Sharifullah could have faced a possible life sentence if the jury had unanimously agreed on that point.
AFGHAN MAN CONVICTED OF CONSPIRACY IN DEADLY SUICIDE BOMBING AT KABUL AIRPORT DURING US WITHDRAWAL
Inside Abbey Gate, British and American security forces maintain order amongst the Afghan evacuees waiting to leave, in Kabul, Aug. 25, 2021. Mohammed Sharifullah, who was convicted of providing material support to the Islamic State, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in related to the deadly Abbey Gate suicide bombing during the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. (Marcus Lam/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images)
More than 160 Afghans and 13 U.S. military service members were killed on Aug. 26, 2021, at the airport, where U.S. troops were conducting evacuation operations when a lone suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device near Abbey Gate, an entry point.
The U.S. withdrawal was completed days later as the Taliban retook control of the country.
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Afghans hold documents and wait outside Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul during the chaotic 2021 U.S. evacuation. Many Afghan Christians and allies were among those seeking rescue. (Courtesy: Oklahoma Khorasan Church)
During interviews with the FBI, Sharifullah admitted that he surveilled a possible route for the suicide bomber to the Abbey Gate during the last days of the U.S. military’s presence in Afghanistan, according to evidence presented at trial.
“ISIS-K members provided Sharifullah with a motorcycle, funds for a cell phone and a SIM card, and instructions to open an account on a particular social media platform to communicate with them during the attack operation,” an affidavit cited Sharifullah as saying in an FBI interview.
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FILE – President Donald Trump, surrounded by family members of military service members killed in Afghanistan at the attack at Abbey Gate, speaks during an event for the signing of a proclamation honoring the fourth anniversary of the attack. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“After making these preparations for the attack, Sharifullah was tasked with scouting a route near Hamid Karzai International Airport for an attacker,” the affidavit said. “Sharifullah conducted surveillance on a route, specifically checking for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints.”
Prosecutors also presented evidence of several other ISIS-K attacks in Afghanistan in which Sharifullah admitted involvement.
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President Donald Trump announced the capture of Sharifullah during a March 2025 address to a joint session of Congress.
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“Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity. And he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice,” Trump said at the time to lawmakers.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.