A jury convicted Sharifullah of aiding ISIS-K but could not unanimously agree on his direct responsibility for the Abbey Gate bombing that occurred during the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Prosecutors alleged Sharifullah scouted routes to the airport and communicated with ISIS-K leadership before the attack, while defense argued he was a low-level operative whose confessions were coerced under Pakistani custody.
ISIS-K member sentenced to 20 years for role in 2021 Kabul airport bombing
The Abbey Gate bombing killed 13 U.S. service members and approximately 160 Afghans; Sharifullah's alleged involvement in other ISIS-K attacks contributed to additional deaths including roughly 140 in a 2024 Moscow concert hall assault.