A federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, convicted Mohammad Sharifullah on Wednesday of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) terrorist group but deadlocked on whether he was responsible for the 2021 bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and about 170 Afghan civilians. The verdict marked a partial victory for the Justice Department in one of the highest-profile terrorism cases arising from the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The bombing, which took place on August 26, 2021, at the airport’s Abbey Gate during chaotic evacuation efforts, represented a tragic low point as thousands sought to flee the Taliban takeover following the U.S. troop withdrawal. The attack was claimed by ISIS-K and involved a suicide bomber who detonated explosives in a crowd near the gate.

Sharifullah, who was detained by Pakistani authorities in early 2025 and later questioned by the FBI, faced charges including conspiracy resulting in death, which could have carried a life sentence. However, the jury found him guilty only of the lesser charge of supporting ISIS-K, a conviction punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and was unable to reach a unanimous decision on the special finding tying him directly to the bombing fatalities.

Prosecutors portrayed Sharifullah as a recruited ISIS-K operative who conducted surveillance and logistical support for attacks over the last decade, including the 2021 Kabul airport bombing. They cited his recorded FBI interviews in which he admitted to scouting routes, transporting assailants, and swearing allegiance to the extremist group. Prosecutor Ryan White asserted Sharifullah’s activities made him complicit in terror attacks, including teaching gunmen and aiding operatives involved in previous incidents such as the 2016 U.S. Embassy attack in Kabul and a deadly 2024 concert bombing near Moscow.

The defense challenged the reliability of Sharifullah’s statements, arguing they were coerced while in Pakistani custody under conditions involving psychological and physical abuse. Public defenders asserted that Sharifullah had been forced to confess out of fear for his pregnant wife and children, who had also been detained. They further contended that there was no direct evidence placing Sharifullah at the Kabul airport on the day of the bombing and presented the theory that the attack was most likely an “inside job” orchestrated by a rogue Taliban faction, with ISIS-K opportunistically claiming credit.

U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga instructed the jury that they could not convict based solely on Sharifullah’s potentially involuntary confessions without corroborating evidence. The judge has requested written recommendations from both parties on how to proceed, with no sentencing date set.

Family members of those killed expressed mixed reactions to the verdict. Darin Hoover, whose son Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover was among the Marines killed, acknowledged the significance of the terrorism conspiracy conviction but described the jury’s inability to link Sharifullah directly to the bombing as a “kick in the teeth.” He noted the difficulty of hearing survivor testimony alongside prosecution accounts of Sharifullah’s recruitment and alleged involvement in other militant activities.

The case remains a rare example of a terrorism trial linked to the chaotic final phase of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, highlighting the challenges in establishing responsibility amid complex intelligence, international custody issues, and limited evidentiary trails.