Mohammad Sharifullah, who is suspected of organizing an explosion at the Kabul airport during the chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in 2021, has appeared in court in the United States. At that time, 13 American soldiers and about 170 Afghans were killed. He admitted that he joined the Wilayat Khorasan organization (Isis-K, the Afghan branch of the Islamic State – recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia) in 2016. According to the US FBI interrogation, Sharifullah instructed and supplied firearms to the militants who attacked the Crocus City concert hall in Moscow in March 2024.
The capture of the criminal was announced during an address to Congress by US President Donald Trump, who called this event a symbol of America’s successful cooperation with Pakistan. Pakistani intelligence officials have confirmed that Sharifullah was arrested in the rebel province of Balochistan near the border with Afghanistan. Previous attempts to capture the criminal were unsuccessful, but this time the special services of Pakistan managed to complete the task.
But what role did Sharifullah, also known as Jafar, play in the tragedy at Kabul airport? According to the AP news agency, at that time, a lot of people rushed to the airport who wanted to escape the country before power passed into the hands of the Taliban (the organization is recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in the Russian Federation).
Sharifullah has been in prison since 2019. About two weeks before the bombing, another member of Isis-K contacted him and offered to help prepare for the attack. Both of them were released from prison. Sharifullah received a motorcycle, money to purchase a mobile phone, a SIM card, and instructions on how to keep in touch via social media. During the preparation of the terrorist attack, he informed the suicide bomber which way to the airport was safe. Sharifullah himself was instructed to leave the area of attack. He learned about what happened from his accomplices. The suicide bomber’s mission was taken over by Abdul Rahman al Logari, who was in prison but was released when power in the country passed to the Taliban.
Pakistani officials tend to give Sharifullah’s figure more weight than the FBI. According to them, he, along with other militants, planned the attack at the airport while still in prison.
According to The New York Times, the fact that Trump thanked Pakistan for helping to arrest the suspect may indicate the strengthening of ties between the two countries in the fight against terrorism. Islamabad needs such support very much. But Pakistan, which possesses nuclear weapons, is under pressure both domestically and internationally. Armed Islamist groups have intensified attacks inside the country, in its north, and ethnic separatists in the south. And this is against the background of instability in the economy and political squabbles caused by the fact that Imran Khan was ousted from the post of Prime Minister in 2022.
The US withdrawal from Afghanistan has changed the balance of power in the region. The differences between Pakistani leaders and the Taliban government in Afghanistan have become increasingly acute. And there is an explanation for this. Indeed, the presence of paramilitary groups has increased in Afghanistan. Some of them are connected with the government, others are opposed to it. This situation could not but affect Islamabad’s relations with major powers. He has strengthened the alliance with China. On the contrary, relations with the United States have weakened. After leaving Afghanistan, Washington reduced its assistance to Pakistan.
Adam Weinstein, deputy director of the Middle East program at the Washington think tank, says: “Thanks from President Trump – this is no small victory for Islamabad. But this is not enough for the all-powerful army of Pakistan. She seeks recognition for Pakistan’s achievements in the fight against terrorism in the region and partnership with the United States in the field of security. Islamabad hopes that this will help stop attacks on Pakistan by Islamists from Afghanistan.”
Experts note that it was possible to catch the figure involved in the attack on the airport in Kabul due to the fact that cooperation between Washington and Islamabad, at least in the fight against a common enemy, continues. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, in a statement on social media, thanked Trump for appreciating Pakistan’s efforts in countering terrorism.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said Sharifullah was involved in terrorist attacks in Russia. According to her, he “confessed to crimes” in connection with the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport, as well as “other attacks in Russia and Iran.”
