Former Taliban commander Haji Najibullah, age 50, received a 42-year prison term plus five years of supervised release after being convicted on terrorism counts, the United States Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

The case rests on his command position in Afghanistan near Kabul, where he oversaw assaults on United States service members and coalition partners from 2007 through 2009.

Among those operations was a June 2008 ambush that claimed the lives of three American soldiers and their Afghan interpreter while wounding several others.

Months afterward he directed an assault on an Afghan National Police post that left three officers dead.

Further accusations involved his treatment of civilians, notably the 2008 and 2009 abduction of a New York Times journalist from the United States along with two Afghan citizens.

The captives remained under armed watch for seven months until they managed to break free.

Najibullah entered a guilty plea in April 2025 to hostage taking and providing material support for terrorism that ended in fatalities.

Officials noted he spoke proudly of fighters under his command, describing them as prepared to die and willing to strap on explosives if ordered.

United States vows to pursue those who target Americans

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that individuals who harm Americans or commit terrorist acts will be tracked and prosecuted regardless of time passed. He described Najibullah as a Taliban leader who backed deadly strikes against United States personnel and arranged the brutal captivity of an American reporter and Afghan civilians. The sentence, he added, brings justice to victims and their families.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Najibullah would face consequences for his conduct and that bureau personnel would not overlook attacks or hostage takings involving Americans.

Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg observed that the ruling, though partial, supplies overdue accountability for the victims families.

United States Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York emphasized the severe harm inflicted and warned that assaults on Americans or military members through terrorism carry serious repercussions. He credited the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force along with the Port Authority Police, Department of Defense, and other partners for their work, and thanked Ukrainian authorities and Justice Department offices for aiding the arrest and transfer.