An Islamic State group member was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday for providing material support to ISIS-K, the Islamic State affiliate responsible for a suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport in August 2021. The attack, which occurred during the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, killed 13 American service members and approximately 160 Afghan civilians.

Mohammad Sharifullah, 28, was convicted by a federal jury in Virginia in April of aiding ISIS-K. However, jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether he was directly responsible for the bombing itself. Prosecutors argued that Sharifullah had scouted routes to the airport ahead of the attack, a claim Sharifullah’s defense team disputed. The defense maintained that he was never an ISIS-K leader and that evidence tying him specifically to the Abbey Gate bombing was insufficient. They also contended that statements Sharifullah made during FBI questioning could have been coerced, as he feared mistreatment while in Pakistani custody.

U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga imposed the maximum sentence allowed under the sentencing count and described Sharifullah as a “dedicated terrorist” who showed no remorse for the devastating loss caused by the attack. Sharifullah did not address the court before the sentence was handed down.

During the sentencing hearing, family members of the victims delivered impact statements, sharing personal reflections on how the bombing shattered their lives. Mark Schmitz, whose 20-year-old son Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz was killed at Abbey Gate, remarked that while the bombing took his son's life, it did not extinguish his legacy. Paula Knauss-Selph, mother of Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, also emphasized the profound effect the attack had on her family, stating that no degree of justice could fully heal the pain.

Prosecutors highlighted Sharifullah’s longstanding allegiance to ISIS-K, citing his pledge as a teenager and his expressed desire to harm U.S. forces. They also linked him to several other attacks allegedly carried out by the group, including a 2024 bombing at a concert hall in Moscow that resulted in roughly 140 deaths. Sharifullah’s legal team argued that such accusations were based on statements without corroborating evidence directly tying him to the Kabul attack.

According to intelligence assessments, the suicide bomber at Abbey Gate was Abdul Rahman al-Logari, an ISIS member who had been released from Afghan custody by the Taliban prior to the attack. FBI affidavits indicate that Sharifullah recognized al-Logari as an associate from their time in prison.

Sharifullah had requested a 17-year sentence, while prosecutors sought 20 years. The jury’s deadlock on whether deaths at the airport were a direct result of Sharifullah’s conspiracy prevented a potential life sentence. The case remains a significant example of the ongoing challenges in prosecuting terrorism-related offenses linked to the chaotic events surrounding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.