Federal Authorities Arrest ISIS-K Member for Role in Killing of U.S. Military Service Members
A federal indictment has been handed down against Mohammad Sharifullah, a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), for his role in the killing of 13 U.S. military service members at Abbey Gate, Afghanistan.
On March 2, 2025, the United States charged Sharifullah with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B.
Sharifullah has been arrested and is expected to appear in the Eastern District of Virginia on March 5, 2025.
‘This evil ISIS-K terrorist orchestrated the brutal murder of 13 heroic service members,’ said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. ‘Under President Trump’s strong leadership on the world stage, this Department of Justice will ensure that terrorists like Mohammad Sharifullah have no safe haven, no second chances, and no worse enemy than the United States of America.’
The lethal attack that killed 13 American service members and Afghan civilians during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was an act of terrorism. ISIS-K brazenly claimed responsibility for the carnage. Now thanks to the assistance of the FBI, Department of Justice, and the CIA, we have secured Sharifullah’s apprehension and transport to the U.S. to face American justice.
During an interview with FBI Special Agents on March 2, 2025, after waiving his Miranda rights, Sharifullah admitted to helping prepare for the Abbey Gate attack, including scouting a route near the airport for an attacker. Sharifullah specifically checked for law enforcement and American or Taliban checkpoints; he then communicated to other ISIS-K members that he believed the route was clear and that the attacker would not be detected.
Sharifullah also admitted to recognizing al-Logari as an ISIS-K operative he had previously known. During his interview with the FBI, Sharifullah also admitted to supporting and conducting activities on behalf of ISIS-K in multiple other lethal attacks.
In one such attack, on June 20, 2016, a suicide bomber acting for ISIS-K detonated a bomb that killed over ten embassy guards and multiple civilians and wounded other soldiers guarding the Canadian embassy in Kabul. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. As alleged in the complaint, prior to the attack, Sharifullah conducted surveillance to prepare the suicide bomber and later transported the bomber to the attack area.
Sharifullah has been charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B. He is expected to appear in the Eastern District of Virginia on March 5, 2025.
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Violent Crime|Terrorism
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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