Mohammad Sharifullah, also known by the alias “Jafar,” is a significant figure linked to ISIS-K, the Afghan branch of ISIS. Born on July 30, 1986, in Afghanistan, he is accused of orchestrating the Abbey Gate bombing during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, an attack that resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians.
Sharifullah’s criminal involvement began with his recruitment into ISIS-K in 2016. He spent time in prison from 2019 until shortly before the Abbey Gate attack, during which he was contacted by ISIS members to assist in planning the bombing.
His role included scouting potential routes near Hamid Karzai International Airport and conducting surveillance on law enforcement and checkpoints.
In addition to the Abbey Gate attack, Sharifullah is linked to several other violent incidents.
He is alleged to have conducted surveillance and transported a bomber for an attack on embassy guards in Kabul in 2016 and provided weapons training to gunmen involved in a recent attack on a nightclub in Moscow.
