Afghan Man Convicted Over ISIS Support in US Case

A federal jury in the United States has found an Afghan man, Mohammad Sharifullah, guilty of providing support to the Islamic State in Afghanistan, although it could not reach a verdict on his alleged involvement in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing.

Sharifullah, linked to the Islamic State Khorasan (ISK) faction operating across Afghanistan and Pakistan, was convicted in Virginia of conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organisation. However, jurors were unable to decide whether he participated directly in the Kabul airport suicide attack, which killed at least 170 Afghans and 13 US troops during the final days of the US withdrawal.

Fighters of the Taliban Badri 313 military unit stand guard at the airport in Kabul, Sept. 14, 2021. (Files / AFP)

Prosecutors alleged that Sharifullah helped facilitate the attack by scouting access routes to Kabul airport, where the suicide bomber later struck crowds attempting to escape following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.

According to US authorities, he was extradited from Pakistan in March 2025 and is said to have been involved in several ISIS-related operations between 2016 and his arrest. These include the 2016 bombing targeting Nepali guards at the Canadian embassy in Kabul and the 2024 attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall.

He faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing yet to be scheduled.

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