Abbey Gate Terror Suspect made the first appearance before the court after the extradition for us
An alleged key figure in the deadly suicide bombing of August 2021 targeting American soldiers in Abbey Gate when Afghanistan’s withdrawal appeared before the Federal Court of Virginia after his extradition to the United States
Mohammad Sharifullah, described by the Ministry of Justice as an Islamic State agent, made a brief hearing of first appearance on Wednesday afternoon before the Federal Court of Alexandria for having allegedly orchestrated the attack which killed 13 American soldiers and around 160 civilians.
Sharifullah spoke gently by answering questions from a magistrate judge as to whether he understood his constitutional rights. Through an interpreter, he recognized the federal accusation he is confronted with – conspired to provide material support for a terrorist group, which leads to a maximum perpetuity prison sentence if it was condemned.
He was flanked by three American marshals at the hearing.
The magistrate judge ordered a detention and preliminary hearing on Monday. The government will request its continuous detention pending trial.
Mohammad Sharifullah saw being extradited to the United States on March 4, 2025.
Director of FBI Kash Patel / X
The Pakistani special forces recently captured Sharifullah along the Pakistani / Afghan border, according to a Pakistani intelligence official familiar with the operation. He was extradited to the United States on Tuesday evening, according to FBI director Kash Patel.
During an interview with FBI agents on Sunday in a non -disclosed place, Sharifullah would have admitted its involvement in three major terrorist attacks, including that in Abbey Gate, according to a criminal complaint.
Sharifullah would have helped plan the Abbey Gate operation, including surveillance on a route for the striker near Hamid Karzai International Airport, according to the complaint.
Sharifullah would also have revealed that he had played a role in the suicide attack targeting the United States Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan in June 2016 who killed 10 embassy guards and injured other soldiers keeping the Canadian Embassy, the complaint.
As part of its services in Isis-K, Sharifullah would have surveillance “so that he could prepare the suicide bomber and transport it in the target zone” in Kabul, according to the complaint.
The bomber then used an “improvised explosive device worn to carry out the attack,” said the complaint.
Sharifullah would also have admitted having played a role in an ISIS-K attack against a concert hall near Moscow in March 2024 which killed more than 130 people, according to the complaint.
The suspect was involved in more than 30 terrorist attacks, according to the Pakistani intelligence manager.
He was in prison in Afghanistan from 2016 to 2021, according to the official.
It is believed that he was released by the Taliban in decreasing times when the Afghan Republic collapsed.
