Wed Mar 05 13:03:55 UTC 2025: ## ISIS-K Planner of Deadly Kabul Airport Bombing Arrested, US Announces

**Washington D.C. –** US authorities have announced the arrest of Mohammad Sharifullah, an ISIS-K operative accused of playing a key role in planning the August 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 US service members and at least 170 Afghan civilians. President Trump revealed the arrest in a congressional address, praising the Pakistani government for its cooperation in capturing Sharifullah, who will now face US justice.

Sharifullah, also known as Jafar, is described by White House officials as a key planner for ISIS-K. Evidence suggests his involvement extends beyond the Abbey Gate attack, linking him to the March 2024 Moscow concert hall massacre and a January 2024 bombing in Iran.

The Abbey Gate bombing occurred on August 26, 2021, at a main entrance to Kabul’s airport during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device amidst a crowd of Afghans seeking evacuation, resulting in mass casualties.

While the Biden administration previously claimed the mastermind behind the attack was killed in 2023, the White House official clarified Sharifullah’s direct involvement in the planning. An FBI affidavit reveals Sharifullah confessed to joining ISIS-K in 2016, scouting routes to the airport for the suicide bomber, Abdul Rahman al-Logari, and providing training materials for the Moscow attack perpetrators. Pakistani authorities apprehended Sharifullah last month and facilitated his transfer to the FBI. The arrest marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into this devastating terrorist attack.

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