A staggering half a million weapons, originally part of the vast arsenal siezed by the Taliban when regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, are now lost, sold, or being smuggled to militant groups, according to sources who spoke anonymously to the BBC.
The alarming revelation, corroborated by the United Nations, suggests that some of these United States-funded arms have even fallen into the hands of Al-Qaeda affiliates.
When the Taliban swept through Afghanistan in 2021, they gained control of approximately one million weapons and pieces of military equipment, the majority of which had been supplied and funded by the US, a former Afghan official revealed, speaking anonymously to the BBC.
This cache included sophisticated American-made firearms like M4 and M16 rifles, alongside older weapons left behind from decades of conflict.
Sources privy to a closed-door UN Security Council's Sanctions Committee meeting in Doha late last year revealed that the Taliban themselves admitted that at least half a million of this equipment — a staggering 500,000 items — is now "unaccounted" for.
This figure was verified by a source from the committee confirmed with other sources.
Additionally, a UN report released in February stated that Al-Qaesh affiliates including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan(TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and Yemen's Ansarullah movement, are gaining access to Taliban-captured weapons either directly or through the thriving black market.
When confronted with these findings by the BBC, Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government, vehemently denied the claims.
"All light and heavy weapons are securely stored. We strongly reject claims of smuggling or loss," he asserted.
However, a 2023 UN report contradicted this, stating that the Taliban allowed local commanders, who often operate with significant autonomy, to retain 20% of seized US weapons, fuelling the black market.
The UN further noted that the "gifting of weapons is widely practiced between local commanders and fighters to consolidate power," soldifying the black market as a "rich source of weaponry for the Taliban."
Adding to these concerns, a former journalist from Kandahar revealed that an open arms market flourished in the city for a year following the Taliban takeover, only recently moving underground and operating via WhatsApp.
This Meta-owned instant messaging platform facilitates the trade of new and used US weapons and equipment, primarily those abandonbed by US-backed forces, among wealthy individuals and local commanders.
While figures from the US body overseeing Afghan reconstruction projects (Sigar) record a lower number of weapons supplied, a 2022 Sigar report acknowledged their inability to obtain accurate information due to the diverse US departments and organisations involved in funding and supplying equipment over the years.
The Sigar report cited "shortfalls and issues with DoD's (Department of Defence) processes for tracking equipment in Afghanistan" for over a decade.
Sigar also criticised the State Department for providing "limited, inaccurate, and untimely information" about the equipment left behind, a claim the department denies.
The issue remains politically charged, with US President Donald Trump vowing to reclaim the weaponry, estimated at $85 billion, though this figure is disputed.
"Afghanistan is one of the biggest sellers of military equipment in the world, you know why? They're selling the equipment that we left," Trump said during his first cabinet meeting of the new administration.
"I want to look into this. If we need to pay them, that's fine, but we want our military equipment back."
The Taliban responded to Trump's claims with their spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid stating that they would use the weapons, which the Taliban often parade as a symbols of victory over the US, to defend the country.
"We seized these weapons from the previous administration and will use them to defend the country and counter any threats," he told Afghan media.
Despite claims of disabling eqipment upon withdrawal, the Taliban have built a capable military using these arms.
Sources indicate hundreds of unused advanced vehicles and helicopters remain in Taliban warehouses, though their operational capacity for sophisticated machinery is limited. Simpler equipment like Humvees is being effectively used.
Former head of Sigar, John Sopko, deems any attempt to reclaim the weapns "pointless", arguing the cost would outweigh the value.
Whether Trump will take any action remains to be seen, but, in the meantime, concerns about the spread of weapons in the region and access by militant groups remain unresolved.
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