FBI charges Mohammad Sharifullah for aiding IS-K attacks

The FBI has charged Mohammad Sharifullah for supporting the militant group Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K). He is linked to the 2021 Kabul Airport bombing and the 2024 Moscow concert hall attack. According to the FBI's affidavit, Sharifullah admitted to helping with the bombing at Kabul airport. He said he conducted surveillance and transported a suicide bomber to the attack site. He recognized the attacker as someone he had known from prison. The affidavit also mentions that Sharifullah was released from Afghan prison shortly before the bombing. IS-K contacted him right away and provided him with a motorcycle, money for a phone, and other support to assist in the attack. During a court hearing, some media reported that Sharifullah's defense argued he was not a main planner of the bombing. This contradicts the FBI's statement, which confirmed his logistical role but did not label him as a mastermind. Additionally, the FBI connected Sharifullah to a 2024 attack in Moscow that killed about 130 people. He admitted to giving instructions to potential attackers on using weapons. It has been revealed that the U.S. intelligence, not Pakistan, found and arrested Sharifullah. He is charged under a U.S. law against supporting foreign terrorist organizations, and if found guilty, he could face life in prison. There are still questions about his exact role in IS-K as legal proceedings continue.