Last Updated on 1 month by Alex Orion
FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the United States has extradited one of the terrorists allegedly involved in the attack that claimed the lives of 13 American service members at Abbey Gate during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Patel shared the news on X, stating that the operation was carried out by the FBI, DOJ, and CIA. “As President Trump just announced, I can report that tonight the FBI, DOJ, and CIA have extradited one of the terrorists responsible for the murder of the 13 American soldiers at Abbey Gate during the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal,” Patel wrote.
The extradition comes as a significant development in seeking justice for the American troops who lost their lives in the 2021 attack. “One step closer to justice for these American heroes and their families,” Patel added.
During his address, former President Donald Trump announced that the prime suspect behind the deadly Abbey Gate attack had been apprehended and extradited to the United States.
“Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have just apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity,” Trump stated. “And he is right now on his way here to face the swift sword of American justice.”
According to CBS News, the suspect, Mohammed Sharifullah, was captured approximately 10 days ago in a joint operation between Pakistani intelligence and the CIA. He has since been extradited and is scheduled for an initial court appearance in Virginia on Wednesday afternoon.
The attack, which occurred during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, claimed the lives of 13 American service members, including 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman, and one sailor. It also left over 42 others wounded while hundreds of Americans and Afghan allies were left behind as the country fell under Taliban rule.
Reflecting on the tragic event, Trump emphasized the significance of the arrest for the families of the fallen. “This was a very momentous day for those 13 families, who I actually got to know very well, most of them, whose children were murdered and the many people that were so badly — over 42 people so badly injured on that fateful day in Afghanistan. What a horrible day,” he said.
Trump added that he had spoken to many of the victims’ loved ones. “Just spoke to them on the phone. We had a big call. Every one of them called and everybody was on the line and they did nothing but cry with happiness. They were very happy. As happy as you can be under those circumstances.