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This courtroom sketch depicts government witness Bruce Hoffman testifying as defendant Mohammad Sharifullah, seated left, listens during the opening day of the trial for Sharifullah in federal court in Alexandria, Va., Monday, April 20, 2026. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)<\/p>\n
Dana Verkouteren\/AP<\/p>\n
This courtroom sketch depicts Justice Department prosecutor John Gibbs speaking as defense attorneys Lauren Rosen, Geremy Kamens, from center middle seated, defendant Mohammad Sharifullah, and an interpreter, listen along with Judge Anthony John Trenga during the opening day of the trial for Sharifullah in federal court in Alexandria, Va., Monday, April 20, 2026. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)<\/p>\n
Dana Verkouteren\/AP<\/p>\n
This courtroom sketch depicts defense attorney Geremy Kamens speaking as Judge Anthony J. Trenga listens during the opening day of the trial for alleged Islamic State militant Mohammad Sharifullah in federal court in Alexandria, Va., Monday, April 20, 2026. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)<\/p>\n
Dana Verkouteren\/AP<\/p>\n
This courtroom sketch depicts Justice Department prosecutor John Gibbs speaking as defense attorneys Lauren Rosen, Geremy Kamens, from center middle seated, defendant Mohammad Sharifullah, and an interpreter, listen along with Judge Anthony John Trenga during the opening day of the trial for Sharifullah in federal court in Alexandria, Va., Monday, April 20, 2026. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)<\/p>\n
Dana Verkouteren\/AP<\/p>\n
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) \u2014 An alleged Islamic State group militant was convicted on Wednesday of a conspiracy charge in a deadly suicide bombing at a Kabul airport during the U.S. military\u2019s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.<\/p>\n
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Mohammad Sharifullah faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years after his one-count conviction in an international terrorism case that President Donald Trump heralded last year during a speech to a joint session of Congress. Sharifullah didn\u2019t testify at his weeklong trial.<\/p>\n
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Approximately 160 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were killed in the Aug. 26, 2021, attack at the airport, where U.S. troops were conducting an evacuation operation when a lone suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device near an entry point known as Abbey Gate.<\/p>\n
A federal jury in Virginia convicted Sharifullah of providing material support to an Islamic State regional branch known as ISIS-K. But the jurors deadlocked on whether any deaths at the airport \u201cresulted from\u201d that conspiracy. Sharifullah could have faced a possible life sentence if the jury had unanimously decided that question.<\/p>\n
Sharifullah didn’t appear to have any visible reaction to the verdict. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga didn’t immediately set a date for Sharifullah’s sentencing.<\/p>\n
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The jury deliberated for roughly eight hours over two days. In a note to the judge, jurors indicated that they quickly reached a unanimous decision to convict Sharifullah of conspiracy but couldn\u2019t agree on the element that could have significantly enhanced the severity of his sentence. The judge rejected a prosecutor\u2019s request to give them more time to deliberate.<\/p>\n
Defense attorney Lauren Rosen argued that prosecutors failed to present any evidence tying Sharifullah to the bombing besides his own words during hours of FBI questioning. Rosen said Sharifullah told FBI agents what he thought they wanted to hear, possibly because he was afraid of being tortured in Pakistani custody before he was brought to the U.S.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe problem was, he didn\u2019t know much about what actually happened that day,\u201d Rosen told jurors during the trial\u2019s closing arguments. \u201cThe government has told you nothing about how this attack actually happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Justice Department prosecutor Ryan White said Sharifullah played a crucial role in planning the Abbey Gate bombing and was involved in several other attacks by ISIS-K, including its March 2024 attack at a Moscow concert hall that killed roughly 140 people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe defendant thought nothing of killing,\u201d White said. \u201cFor him, it was just another day at the office.\u201d<\/p>\n