On Tuesday night, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced in his first speech to Congress that the mastermind behind the August 26, 2021, suicide attack at the Abbey Gate entrance of Kabul Airport had been captured with Pakistan’s assistance.
Following Trump’s announcement, Kash Patel, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), stated that on Tuesday night, 4 March (U.S. time), the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the CIA successfully extradited one of the terrorists responsible for the killing of 13 American service members at Abbey Gate during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Suspect Identified as ISIS-K Operative Mohammad Sharifullah
According to Axios, citing sources, the suspect has been identified as Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar”.
The report states that Sharifullah was a member of ISIS-K and was accused of planning and coordinating the attack at Abbey Gate, which resulted in the deaths of at least 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members.
Axios further reported that Sharifullah is expected to arrive in the United States on Wednesday, where his court hearing will be held publicly.
CIA and Pakistan’s Role in the Capture
U.S. officials revealed that after John Ratcliffe was confirmed as CIA Director in January, Trump ordered him to prioritise the capture of those responsible for the Abbey Gate attack. In his first communication with General Asim Malik, head of Pakistan’s ISI, Ratcliffe raised this issue.
Officials further stated that the CIA had been tracking Sharifullah for an extended period but only recently acquired precise intelligence on his whereabouts. This intelligence was shared with Pakistan’s security agencies, leading to his capture by a special unit near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Reports indicate that ten days ago, after U.S. officials were informed of Sharifullah’s arrest, Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel contacted Pakistan’s intelligence chief from CIA headquarters to discuss his extradition.
According to the report: “Since then, the CIA, the Department of Justice, and the FBI have worked together on his extradition, with Ratcliffe, Patel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi personally involved.”
On Tuesday night, Trump publicly thanked Pakistan for assisting in Sharifullah’s capture.
Kash Patel, in a post on social platform X, stated that with this arrest, justice for “American heroes and their families” is one step closer.
Neither Trump nor Patel disclosed the suspect’s identity in their statements.
As of now, Pakistani officials have not commented on the matter.
This development follows a previous claim by U.S. officials in April 2023 that the Taliban had killed an ISIS-K leader responsible for the Kabul Airport attack. While the Biden administration confirmed the leader’s death, it did not disclose his identity.
