ISIS terrorist behind bombing that killed U.S. troops in Afghanistan captured, Trump says

The U.S. has taken into custody the terrorist responsible for the bombing during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Donald Trump announced in a joint address to Congress.

During his address on Tuesday night, Trump stated that the top terrorist behind the attack was arrested by Pakistan and is being transferred to the U.S. to face “the swift sword of American justice.”

Two U.S. officials familiar with the case told Axios that Pakistani authorities acted on intelligence provided by the CIA and detained Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” a senior commander of an ISIS branch operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Sharifullah is accused of devising and coordinating the Abbey Gate bombing on August 26, 2021, which killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 170 Afghan civilians.

A U.S. official with direct knowledge of the case stated that Sharifullah is currently being extradited to the U.S. and is expected to arrive on Wednesday, according to Axios. An indictment against him is expected to be unsealed upon his arrival.

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan culminated in the Abbey Gate attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing.

According to The New York Times, citing Biden administration officials, another senior ISIS-K leader believed to have authorized the attack was killed by the Taliban in April 2023.