Confession of ISIS-K Operative Linked to Attacks in Kabul and Russia: US Officials
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Synopsis
A captured ISIS-K operative, Mohammad Sharifullah, has confessed to multiple terrorist attacks in Kabul and Russia, including a suicide bomb that killed US military personnel. US officials confirm his transfer from Pakistan to face justice.
Key Takeaways
- ISIS-K operative Mohammad Sharifullah apprehended.
- Confessed involvement in suicide bombing in Kabul.
- Linked to attacks in Russia and Afghanistan.
- Cooperation with Pakistan led to his capture.
- He faces life imprisonment if convicted.
New York, March 6 (NationPress) The ISIS-K terror operative responsible for the suicide bombing against US military personnel in Kabul has been linked to a network of terrorist activities in both Russia and other parts of Afghanistan, as per US reports.
During a White House briefing on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump’s spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, announced that Mohammad Sharifullah was transferred to the US earlier that day.
After experiencing a strained relationship with Trump's administration, Pakistan captured Sharifullah and facilitated his transfer to the US.
Furthermore, Islamabad is actively confronting ISIS-K, which has been implicated in numerous attacks within its borders.
In a speech to Congress on Tuesday night, Trump expressed gratitude to Pakistan for the arrest, emphasizing that the terrorist would encounter the swift sword of American justice.
The suicide bombing at the Abbery Gate of the Kabul airport during the tumultuous US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 resulted in the deaths of 13 US military personnel and approximately 170 Afghans.
According to Kash Patel, Director of the FBI, "Thanks to the collaboration of the FBI, Department of Justice, and the CIA, we successfully secured Sharifullah's apprehension and his transport to the US to confront American justice."
The Justice Department has identified Sharifullah as a member of the terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province, also known as ISIS-K.
He has been charged in the federal court of East Virginia with providing and conspiring to assist a terrorist organization, facing a potential life sentence if found guilty.
Sharifullah has confessed to participating in the bombing outside the Canadian embassy in Kabul in 2016, which claimed the lives of 10 guards, as well as the attack at Crocus City Hall near Moscow, resulting in the deaths of around 130 people, according to the Justice Department.
ISIS-K operates throughout South and Central Asia and has claimed responsibility for terrorist actions in Mangalore and Coimbatore in 2022.
In court filings, federal prosecutors mentioned that Sharifullah admitted to verifying the route taken by the suicide bomber Abdul Rahman al-Logari to the Kabul airport and informed other ISIS-K operatives that the path was safe.
He also confessed to training two gunmen involved in the attack in Russia and providing them with operational instructions.
Leavitt stated that on Trump’s first day in office, federal intelligence agencies prioritized "intelligence gathering to locate this evil individual" and collaborated with regional partners like Pakistan.
They "helped identify this monster in the borderland area" of Pakistan and Afghanistan, she added.
In a jab at Biden, she remarked that "he had three years to find this evil terrorist, and he didn’t even attempt to accomplish the task."
Prior to announcing the capture, Trump reached out to the families of the military personnel killed in the attack to share this significant news, Leavitt mentioned.
