WASHINGTON: Moha­mmad Sharifullah, an Afghan citizen accused of planning the 2021 Kabul airport bombing, appeared before a federal court in Virginia, following his extradition.

The attack at the Abbey Gate of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport killed 13 US service members and at least 170 Afghan civilians during the final days of the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghan­istan in August 2021.

On Wednesday, the US Dep­art­ment of Justice (DoJ) char­ged Sharifullah with “conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, which resulted in death.”

An official US statement, released during the court hearing, indicated that Sharifullah spent several days in Pakistan and was extensively interrogated by US officials before being extradited. Pakistani special forces recently captured Sharifullah along the Pakistan-Afghan border.

During his court appearance, Sharifullah spoke softly through an interpreter and acknowledged the charge against him.

Flanked by three US Marshals, he responded to the magistrate judge’s questions about his rights and legal representation. The judge ordered his continued detention until a preliminary hearing scheduled for Monday.

If found guilty, Sharifullah could spend the rest of his life in a US prison. A federal district court judge will determine his final sentence after considering guidelines and other factors, the DoJ said. The prosecution will seek his continued detention pending trial.

In a briefing on Thursday, State Dept spokersperson Tammy Bruce said: “We extend our gratitude to the government of Pakistan, we really do. We have a common interest in fighting terrorism.”

Counter-terror cooperation with Pakistan is vitally important, she said.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2025