Trump commends Pakistan for arrest of terrorist behind Kabul Airport bombing

US President Donald Trump has expressed his appreciation and thanks to Pakistan over its assistance in the arrest of a terrorist responsible for 2021 bombing of Kabul Airport in which several American troops were killed, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a joint session of the US Congress in Washington on late Tuesday night, President Trump said the arrest was made possible with the help of Pakistan and soon this terrorist will in the US to face justice.

During his address, President Trump said the person responsible for killing 13 US service members during the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 had been arrested with the help of Pakistan and was now on his way to the United States to face justice.

"Three and a half years ago, a terrorist killed 13 American service members and countless others in the Abbey Gate bombing,” Trump said. 

Trump, in his speech which was the longest by any president, an hour and 49 minutes, revealed: "Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity. And he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice."

After a brief pause and a round of applause, Trump thanked the Government of Pakistan for helping apprehend the "monster" and added that it was "a very huge day for the affected families”. 

"This was a very momentous day for those 13 families, whom I actually got to know very well, whose children were murdered. What a horrible day," Trump said.

Trump then turned his guns to his predecessor, Joe Biden, and mentioned that the attack occurred during the "disastrous and incompetent" withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Noting that he isn't criticising the withdrawal, but rather the manner in which it was carried out. "Perhaps the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country – such incompetence was shown."

On August 26, 2021, two suicide bombers and gunmen had attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to Kabul’s airport, killing some 170 Afghans and 13 US troops who were securing the airport for the traumatic exit. The militant Islamic State (IS) group had claimed responsibility for the killings.

In April 2023, the White House said Afghan Taliban government forces killed the attack’s mastermind, identifying him as a “key” leader of the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K).

Mohammad Sharifullah, who was allegedly involved in the planning of the bombing, was being extradited to the US, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing a White House official.

Pakistan acted on information from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that led to the arrest of Sharifullah, CNN added.
Trump’s CIA Director, John Ratcliffe, raised the issue during his first phone call with the Pakistani intel chief, which took place during his first few days on the job, CNN said.

According to axious.com, Pakistan recently acted on CIA intelligence and detained a senior ISIS commander who the U.S. claims plotted the deadly Abbey Gate bombing during the US evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021, according to two US officials familiar with the issue. President Trump revealed the arrest in his address to Congress on Tuesday night.

Why it matters: Mohammad Sharifullah, one of the leaders of an ISIS branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is believed to have devised and coordinated the attack that killed 13 US service members and about 170 Afghan citizens, one official said.

Driving the news: "I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity," Trump said in his address.

Trump thanked the Pakistani government for helping to arrest Sharifullah, who he said was currently being brought to the US.

One US official with direct knowledge said Sharifullah, who is also known as "Jafar," is in the process of being extradited to the US from Pakistan after being detained by the Pakistani Intelligence Service.

He is expected to arrive in the US on Wednesday and an indictment against him is expected to be unsealed, the US official said.

A second US official claimed Sharifullah is "the mastermind" behind the attack that took place outside Kabul's international airport on Aug. 26, 2021, and that he planned and oversaw the execution of the bombing.

"Because of his role, he has been a high value target of the US intelligence community for several years," the official said.

Flashback: In April 2023, the Taliban killed another senior ISIS-K leader who the US intelligence community believes authorized the Abbey Gate attack. The Biden administration announced his death but didn't provide details about his identity.

Behind the scenes: After CIA director John Ratcliffe was confirmed by Congress in January, Trump instructed him to prioritize capturing the perpetrators of the Abbey Gate attack, the US officials said.

In his first days in office, Ratcliffe told CIA counterterrorism officials to make it a top priority for the agency.

One US official said the CIA director on his second day in office raised the issue during his first call with his Pakistani military leaders. Ratcliffe reiterated this message during his meeting with the Pakistani spy chief on the sidelines of the Munich security conference in mid-February.

A spokesperson for the Pakistani embassy in D.C. did not provide a comment prior to publication.

The CIA has been monitoring Sharifullah for some time but in recent days it received specific intelligence about his location. The CIA provided the information to the Pakistani intelligence agency, which sent an elite unit that captured him near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the officials said.

Ten days ago, after the US was notified of Sharifullah's capture, Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel held a call with the Pakistani intelligence chief from CIA headquarters in Langley.

Since then the CIA, the Department of Justice and the FBI worked together on his extradition, with Ratcliffe, Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi personally involved, one of the US officials said.

The big picture: The cooperation between the CIA and the Pakistani Intelligence Services over Sharifullah's capture happened after several years of strained relations between US and Pakistani intelligence services.

A US official said these tensions negatively affected counterterrorism operations with the Pakistanis.

Both sources said the US sees Sharifullah's detainment as a signal that the Pakistanis want to reengage with the Trump administration on intelligence and counterterrorism.