RASC News Agency: The alleged mastermind behind the 2021 Kabul airport bombing, which claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members, appeared before a U.S. federal court in Virginia today (Monday) to face terrorism-related charges. Mohammad Sharifullah, who is accused of orchestrating the deadly attack during the chaotic final days of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, made his first official appearance before American judicial authorities. According to U.S. officials, Sharifullah was arrested in Pakistan last month and subsequently extradited to the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice has formally charged him with “providing and conspiring to provide material support” to ISIS, the terror group that claimed responsibility for the attack.
The bombing occurred near one of the gates of Hamid Karzai International Airport, where U.S. forces were facilitating the evacuation of thousands of Afghanistani civilians. The explosion killed 13 American troops and at least 170 Afghanistani civilians, making it one of the deadliest ISIS-K attacks to date. Following the attack, Washington vowed to hold those responsible accountable, and Sharifullah’s extradition is seen as a major step in that pursuit. Pakistani authorities identified him as a senior ISIS-K commander and an Afghanistani national.
However, the Taliban have denied the U.S. allegations, insisting that Sharifullah was not the actual mastermind behind the attack. According to Taliban officials, the real planner was killed by their forces shortly after the bombing.
