Trial of ISIS-K Member in U.S. Delayed Until February 2026
A U.S. court has postponed the trial of Mohammad Sharifullah, a known member of the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), until February 9, 2026. Sharifullah is facing prosecution for allegedly aiding in the deadly suicide bombing on August 26, 2021, at one of the entrances of Kabul airport, known as the ‘Abbey Gate.’ The attack killed 13 U.S. service members and around 200 Afghan civilians.
According to the U.S. media outlet Just the News, the Department of Justice had recommended rescheduling the trial. The case, considered to be of high national security importance, has experienced delays and procedural slowdowns for some time.
Sharifullah was arrested in Pakistan in March 2025 and was later extradited to the United States. He is accused of helping the suicide bomber scout the attack site ahead of the incident. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that Sharifullah admitted during interrogations to having carried out this mission.
In response to Sharifullah’s arrest, U.S. President Donald Trump described him as a “monster” and labeled his role in the deadly attack as “key.”
Sharifullah also claimed to have trained the perpetrators of two other ISIS-K attacks: one targeting Canadian embassy guards in Kabul in 2016, and another—the deadly 2024 concert hall attack in Moscow. While these claims have not been officially verified, they have heightened concerns over the potential scale and reach of ISIS-K’s regional and global collaboration efforts.
The Kabul airport bombing, which occurred during the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, was not only shocking but also underscored the severe security crisis under Taliban rule. The Islamic State Khorasan, a significant threat to regional stability, has expanded its operations in the absence of effective oversight and control by the Taliban administration.
