The federal trial of Mohammad Sharifullah, an Afghan national accused of involvement in the 2021 suicide attack at Kabul International Airport, has commenced in Virginia. His defense attorney insists that the US government has targeted the wrong individual.<\/p>\n
The Associated Press reported that on Monday, a jury of 12 members plus three alternates was selected in Alexandria to consider charges of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. The trial is expected to last about a week, and if convicted, Sharifullah faces a life sentence.<\/p>\n
Jeremy Combs, Sharifullah\u2019s defense lawyer, stated in his opening remarks that \u201cthe United States government has identified the wrong person.\u201d He added that his client had no role in planning or carrying out the bombing and that his confessions were coerced and inaccurate.<\/p>\n
In response, US Department of Justice prosecutor John Gibbs said Sharifullah, also known as \u201cJaafar,\u201d discussed killing \u201cAmerican crusaders\u201d with a journalist and told FBI agents that he joined ISIS-Khorasan in around 2016. Although Sharifullah denied planning the Kabul airport attack, he admitted to carrying out “many other tasks” for ISIS-Khorasan, according to the prosecutor.<\/p>\n
The August 26, 2021, suicide bombing took place during the US evacuation from Afghanistan, killing nearly 200 people including 13 American soldiers and about 170 civilians. ISIS-Khorasan claimed responsibility for the attack.<\/p>\n
US Central Command investigations identified the suicide bomber as Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an ISIS member previously released from prison. Reports indicate the Taliban freed him from custody, raising renewed concerns about prison management and the security implications of Taliban governance decisions.<\/p>\n
Court documents reveal that while in custody, Sharifullah identified the bomber as a known ISIS member. However, a former Marine testified to the US Congress that on the attack day, some soldiers observed suspicious behavior from two individuals but were not authorized to take action.<\/p>\n
A final review by US Central Command concluded that snipers did not see the actual bomber and deemed the attack unavoidable.<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump announced in March 2025 the arrest of Sharifullah near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. He was transferred to the United States for prosecution the day after his arrest.<\/p>\n
This case is one of the most significant legal proceedings related to the deadly Kabul airport attack, which remains remembered as one of the bloodiest moments of the foreign forces\u2019 withdrawal from Afghanistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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