Afghan arms dealers sell US weapons seized by Taliban: report

Kabul [Afghanistan]October 7 (ANI): American weapons – which were seized by the Taliban after the withdrawal of American troops – are now openly sold in stores by Afghan arms dealers who have paid government soldiers and Taliban members for weapons, ammunition and other materials. the New York Times reported, citing arms traffickers from Kandahar province.

Three Kandahar arms dealers said dozens of Afghans opened arms shops in Afghanistan's southern province selling pistols, rifles, grenades, binoculars and night vision goggles made in the USA.

As part of a US train and assist program – which has cost American taxpayers more than $83 billion over two decades of war – the equipment was initially provided to Afghan security forces.

After the departure of American troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban collected a large number of weapons.

Pentagon officials had stressed earlier that advanced weapons had been deactivated before the troops left, but that thousands of weapons were still available to the Taliban, The New York Times reported.

Since the fighting has largely ended, the Taliban have also sold some of the weapons to arms dealers.

Arms dealers said many traffickers smuggled their weapons into Pakistan, where demand for American-made weapons is high, according to the New York Times.

However, the Taliban have denied that these weapons are coming to market.

Bilal Karimi, in an interview with the New York Times, said the weapons were not for sale. “I totally deny it; our fighters cannot be so careless,” he said. “Even one person cannot sell a ball in the market or smuggle it.”

He added that American-made weapons previously captured during the war “are all inventoried, verified and are all backed up and secured under the Islamic Emirate for the future military,” according to the New York Times. (ANI)