Mohammad Sharifullah, a key accused in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing, has been arrested in a joint operation by the ISI and CIA. The arrest took place near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in late February 2025. Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” is believed to be a senior ISIS-K commander and his location was provided to ISI by the CIA.
The Kabul bombing occurred on August 26, 2021, at Hamid Karzai International Airport’s Abbey Gate. The attack, claimed by ISIS-K, killed 13 US service members and was one of the deadliest against the country’s forces during the Afghan conflict.
While a 2024 Pentagon review identified the bomber as ISIS-K operative Abdul Rahman al-Logari, Sharifullah is accused of providing material support to the terrorist organisation and playing a key role in the attack.
Court documents reveal Sharifullah joined ISIS-K in 2016. Following his release from prison in mid-August 2021, he was tasked with scouting routes near the airport for the bomber. Sharifullah confessed to FBI agents on March 2, 2025, that he supported multiple ISIS-K attacks and recognised the Kabul bomber as a fellow operative from prison.
His previous activities include involvement in a 2016 Kabul embassy guard bombing and providing weapons training for a 2024 Moscow nightclub assault. The Moscow attack, which targeted Crocus City Hall on March 22, 2024, highlights Sharifullah’s wider influence within ISIS-K.
Although labelled a mastermind, Sharifullah’s role is believed to be focused on operational planning rather than direct execution. The Taliban’s killing of another unnamed ISIS-K leader connected to the attack in April 2023 suggests multiple individuals were involved.
Top Indian intelligence sources indicate the ISI’s involvement reflects Pakistan’s effort to balance relations between China and the USA. Targeting ISIS-K, a group they have historically sheltered, may be driven by incentives or pressure from the United States.
Sharifullah’s prison release coincides with the Taliban’s August 2021 freeing of thousands of imprisoned terrorists, including ISIS-K members, from Bagram and Pul-e-Charkhi. This mass release, which the ISI helped negotiate, significantly bolstered ISIS-K’s strength.
