WASHINGTON. March 7 (Interfax) - A man detained by U.S. security authorities on suspicion of involvement in a 2021 Kabul airport explosion, Mohammad Sharifullah, has also confessed to having been involved in the terror attack at Crocus City Hall, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
"During his interview with the FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation], Sharifullah admitted that, on behalf of ISIS-K, he had shared instructions on how to use AK-style rifles and other weapons to would-be attackers. Sharifullah also admitted to recognizing two of the four arrested gunmen as those he had previously instructed," a Department statement said.
On Thursday it was reported that Sharifullah had been brought to the United States. He is accused of providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization.
If found guilty, the man could face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The Kabul attack occurred during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. A suicide terrorist activated an explosive device on the grounds of the international airport, killing 13 U.S. soldiers and at least 170 Afghan citizens. Islamic State (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) claimed responsibility for the attack.
The terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow region, occurred on March 22, 2024. The attackers armed with assault rifles fired on the people inside the building and set the concert hall on fire. As a result, 145 people died.