US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the mastermind behind the 2021 Kabul airport bombing, which killed 13 US service members and around 170 Afghan civilians, has been apprehended. Trump credited Pakistan for its assistance in capturing the suspect, identified as Muhammad Sharifullah, also known as Jafar. The arrest was reportedly made based on intelligence provided by the CIA, with Pakistani authorities playing a crucial role in the operation.
During his joint address to Congress, Trump called Sharifullah’s detention a “momentous day” for the families of those killed in the attack. “Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice,” he stated, drawing applause.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif responded by thanking Trump for acknowledging Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts. “Pakistan has always played a critical role in denying safe havens to terrorists,” he said, adding that the country has sacrificed over 80,000 lives in the fight against terrorism. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional stability and cooperation with the US.
The Kabul Bombing and Sharifullah’s Role
The Kabul airport bombing occurred on August 26, 2021, amid the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. A suicide bomber affiliated with ISIS-K detonated explosives at Abbey Gate, one of the main entry points to Hamid Karzai International Airport, where thousands of Afghans were gathered in hopes of evacuating.
According to an unsealed indictment from the Eastern District of Virginia, Sharifullah was recruited by ISIS-K in 2016 and played a significant role in orchestrating the attack. Court documents reveal that he was responsible for scouting a route to the airport and conducting surveillance to ensure the bomber could evade law enforcement and checkpoints. He has been charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death.
Read More: WFP Closes Southern Africa Office Amid Trump’s Foreign Aid Cuts
A US official stated that Trump had personally directed CIA Director John Ratcliffe to prioritize Sharifullah’s capture. Shortly after assuming office, Ratcliffe raised the matter with Pakistani officials and later discussed it with a senior security official at the Munich Security Conference in February. The suspect is now being transported to the US, where he will face prosecution.
Fallout Over Afghan Withdrawal
While announcing the arrest, Trump took the opportunity to criticize his predecessor, Joe Biden, for what he called a “disastrous and incompetent” withdrawal from Afghanistan. “It was the way they withdrew, perhaps the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country,” Trump said. He argued that the poorly executed evacuation emboldened adversaries like Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden’s administration has previously defended its handling of the withdrawal, attributing the chaos to the Trump administration’s deal with the Taliban. In a 2023 report, Biden officials acknowledged that evacuations should have begun earlier but claimed they were constrained by Trump’s agreements and intelligence assessments.
US Officials Applaud Capture
Following Trump’s announcement, several US officials underscored the significance of Sharifullah’s capture. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X, formerly Twitter, that “the FBI, DOJ, and CIA have extradited one of the terrorists responsible for the murder of the 13 American soldiers at Abbey Gate.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi also issued a statement affirming that “one of the terrorist leaders responsible” will now be in US custody. “We will continue to bring those who harm Americans to swift and decisive justice,” she stated.
Sharifullah’s extradition marks a rare instance of high-level cooperation between Washington and Islamabad, at a time when US-Pakistan relations have been strained. The development signals renewed counterterrorism collaboration between the two nations, even as broader geopolitical tensions persist.