ISIS-K Member Sentenced To 20 Years For Supporting Group Behind Abbey Gate Bombing
Mohammad Sharifullah was sentenced to 20 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, the maximum for his one-count conviction for providing material support to ISIS-K.[1]
Jurors in an April 2026 trial convicted him of aiding ISIS-K but deadlocked on whether deaths from the August 26, 2021 Abbey Gate bombing legally resulted from his conduct.[1] Prosecutors said he scouted a route to Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport and helped a suicide bomber reach the airport before the attacker detonated at Abbey Gate, and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said Sharifullah "spent nearly a decade" supporting attacks that "ultimately, contributed to the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers and dozens of others." CBS News Pakistani intelligence and the CIA detained him near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in early 2025 and extradited him to the United States.[1]
On August 26, 2021, a suicide bomber detonated at Abbey Gate outside Hamid Karzai International Airport, killing 13 American service members and more than 150 Afghan civilians.[2] Prosecutors' sentencing memo quoted Sharifullah saying he wanted to "catch and kill the crusaders," and it said hatred toward Americans drove his actions; Judge Trenga called him a "dedicated terrorist" who showed no remorse, and parents of slain troops read victim-impact statements at the hearing.[1]
Deputy U.S. attorney Theophani K. Stamos said Sharifullah "has dedicated his life to violence and murder for the sake of hatred" and that the sentence brings "a measure of justice" to families of those killed.[2]
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📌 Key Facts
- U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga sentenced Mohammad Sharifullah to 20 years in prison on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, the maximum for his one‑count conviction for providing material support to ISIS‑K (Mohammad Sharifullah).
- Jurors in the April 2026 trial returned a mixed verdict, convicting Sharifullah of aiding ISIS‑K but deadlocking on whether deaths from the August 26, 2021 Abbey Gate bombing legally “resulted from” his conduct, which prevented a life sentence (Abbey Gate bombing).
- Prosecutors alleged Sharifullah scouted a route to Hamid Karzai International Airport and helped a suicide bomber reach the airport undetected before the attacker detonated at Abbey Gate (Hamid Karzai International Airport).
- Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said Sharifullah “spent nearly a decade” supporting attacks and “ultimately, contributed to the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers and dozens of others at Abbey Gate” (John Eisenberg).
- Prosecutors' sentencing memo quoted Sharifullah as saying he wanted to “catch and kill the crusaders,” portraying hatred toward Americans as a motivating factor in his actions (sentencing memo).
- Pakistani intelligence and the CIA detained Sharifullah near the Pakistan‑Afghanistan border in early 2025 and he was subsequently extradited to the United States (Pakistani intelligence and the CIA).
- Judge Trenga described Sharifullah as a “dedicated terrorist” who showed no remorse, and victim‑impact statements were read by parents including Mark Schmitz and Paula Knauss‑Selph about their sons Jared Schmitz and Ryan Knauss (Judge Trenga).
- Coverage of the case repeats the casualty figures from the August 26, 2021 attack — 13 American troops and more than 150 Afghans killed (13 American troops).
- Deputy U.S. attorney Theophani K. Stamos said Sharifullah “has dedicated his life to violence and murder for the sake of hatred” and that the sentence brings "a measure of justice" to families of those killed (Theophani K. Stamos).
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The New York Times confirms that on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, an Afghan man identified as Mohammad Sharifullah was sentenced in Virginia to 20 years in prison.
- The article reiterates that jurors in April 2026 convicted Sharifullah of aiding ISIS-K but could not agree that deaths from the August 26, 2021 Abbey Gate bombing legally resulted from his conduct, producing a mixed verdict.
- The piece describes prosecution allegations that Sharifullah helped a suicide bomber reach Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport undetected before detonating at Abbey Gate.
- Deputy U.S. attorney Theophani K. Stamos is quoted saying Sharifullah "has dedicated his life to violence and murder for the sake of hatred" and that the sentence brings "a measure of justice" to families of those killed.
- The article restates casualty figures from the Abbey Gate bombing: 13 American troops and more than 150 Afghans killed.
- On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga sentenced ISIS-K member Mohammad Sharifullah to 20 years in prison, the maximum for his one-count conviction for providing material support to ISIS-K.
- The article specifies that jurors in the April 2026 trial could not agree on whether deaths from the August 26, 2021 Abbey Gate bombing legally 'resulted from' Sharifullah's conspiracy, which is why he did not face a life sentence.
- Prosecutors said Sharifullah's role related to the Abbey Gate attack was scouting a route to Hamid Karzai International Airport, but his lawyers argued he was not an ISIS-K leader and was not convicted of conduct directly tied to the bombing.
- Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said in a statement that Sharifullah "spent nearly a decade" supporting attacks and "ultimately, contributed to the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers and dozens of others at Abbey Gate."
- Prosecutors' sentencing memo quoted Sharifullah as saying he wanted to "catch and kill the crusaders" from the United States and described hate toward Americans as driving his actions.
- The article confirms capture details: Pakistani intelligence and the CIA detained Sharifullah near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in early 2025 before he was extradited to the United States.
- Judge Trenga called Sharifullah a "dedicated terrorist" who showed no remorse and heard victim-impact statements from parents of slain U.S. service members, including comments by Mark Schmitz and Paula Knauss-Selph about their sons Jared Schmitz and Ryan Knauss.