KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the mastermind behind the deadly 2021 Kabul Airport bombing has been apprehended and is being transferred to the United States to face justice.
Speaking before a joint session of Congress, Trump thanked the Pakistani government for its assistance in the operation.
“Three and a half years ago, ISIS terrorists killed 13 American service members and countless others in the Abbey Gate bombing during the disastrous and incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Trump said. “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 did not disclose further details about the suspect or the circumstances of his capture. However, American news outlet Axios, citing U.S. officials, identified the individual as Mohammad Sharifullah, a senior leader of an ISIS branch in Afghanistan. Sharifullah, also known as Jafar, was reportedly captured in a joint operation by the CIA and Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
According to Axios, Sharifullah orchestrated and oversaw the execution of the bombing. “Because of his role, he has been a high-value target of the U.S. intelligence community for several years,” a U.S. official told the outlet.
While the report did not specify Sharifullah’s nationality, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later identified him as an Afghan national. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sharif thanked President Trump for “acknowledging and appreciating Pakistan’s role and support in counterterrorism efforts across the region.”
The bombing took place on August 26, 2021, during the U.S. and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, killing 13 U.S. service members and more than 170 Afghan civilians. The attack happened as thousands of people crowded the airport in a desperate attempt to escape following the Taliban’s rapid takeover of the country.
ISIS-K, the regional affiliate of ISIS, claimed responsibility for the bombing, which marked one of the deadliest days for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in over a decade.
