Trump reveals arrest of terror suspect linked to 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 US troops

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During his address to Congress Tuesday night Donald Trump announced the capture of one of the planners of the deadly Abbey Gate attack in 2021 that killed 13 U.S. soldiers.

Mohammad Sharifullah, one of the leaders of an ISIS branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is believed to have devised and coordinated the attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

He is being sent to the U.S. after extradition from Afghanistan “to face the Swift sword of American justice,” the president said, prompting cheers from Republicans in the chamber.

The attack, which took place during the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, killed about 170 Afghan citizens along with the 13 American service members.

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In his remarks, Trump thanked the government of Pakistan for its assistance in capturing the “monster.” He also blasted the Biden administration for the “disastrous and incompetent” withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“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,” the president said.

Trump called it a “momentous day for those 13 families … It was a horrible day, such incompetence was shown that when [Russian President Vladimir] Putin saw what happened, I guess he said, ‘Well, maybe this is my chance.’ That's how bad it was. It should have never happened. Grossly incompetent people,” the president added.

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Trump noted that he had spoken to the families of the victims, saying they were “all in our hearts tonight.”

He added: “I 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. Their child, brother, sister, son, daughter were killed for no reason whatsoever,” said Trump.

Newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel later confirmed the news of the extradition in a post on X.

“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.

“One step closer to justice for these American heroes and their families. Thank you to our incredible partners and brave FBI personnel who made this happen. You represented your country brilliantly,” he added.