NEW YORK: A leading American newspaper has confirmed what Pakistan has always said that the terrorist groups based in Afghanistan are using, in their cross-border attacks, sophisticated weapons left behind by U.S. troops during 2021’s withdrawal from the war-torn country.
“Many of the weapons wound up across the border in Pakistan, at arms bazaars and in the hands of insurgents, illustrating how the consequences of America’s failed war continue to reverberate years after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban,” The Washington Post said in an investigative report, pointing out that some of those arms were used in last month’s deadly attack on the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan.
According to the newspaper, an M4A1 carbine rifle built by American manufacturer Colt was recovered from the site of the attack. The rifle’s serial number indicated that it was part of billions of dollars worth of weaponry sent to US forces in Afghanistan, who abandoned much of their equipment during their hasty exit.
“After a decade of progress against militants, Pakistan is now struggling to contain multiple insurgencies ….fueled in part by American weapons,” the Post reported from Peshawar in a team coverage.
“U.S. assault rifles, machine guns and night-vision goggles, originally meant to help stabilize Afghanistan, are now being used by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and other groups to wreak havoc across this nuclear-armed nation,” the Post said, citing militants, weapons traders and government officials.
“They have the latest American-made weapons,” Ahmad Hussain, 35, a Pakistani special forces constable, who was critically injured in a targeted nighttime attack in northwestern Pakistan last year, was quoted as saying. “They could see us,” he said, “but we couldn’t see them.”
The report said, “In May, Pakistani officials gave The Washington Post access to dozens of weapons that they said were seized from captured or killed militants. After months of inquiries, the U.S. Army and the Pentagon confirmed to The Post that 63 weapons that were shown to reporters had been provided by the U.S. government to Afghan forces. Most were M16 rifles, alongside several, more-modern M4 carbine models. Pakistani officials also displayed a handful of PVS14 night-vision devices…”
After the March 11 train attack on Jaffer Express, for which the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility, Pakistani officials provided serial numbers for three U.S. rifles allegedly used by the attackers. At least two came from U.S. stocks, the Post said, citing records obtained by The Post through the Freedom of Information Act.
