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US Weapons Abandoned in Afghanistan Are Fueling Arsenals of Terrorist Groups Across the Region.
According to an investigation published by the BBC on April 18, 2025, approximately half a million weapons seized by the Taliban after the fall of Kabul in August 2021 have reportedly been lost, sold, or transferred to militant groups. This revelation, supported by diplomatic sources and UN assessments, has raised growing concerns about the uncontrolled spread of Western-made military equipment in conflict zones, particularly among organizations affiliated with al-Qaeda or other extremist networks.
This cache included American-made small arms such as M4 and M16 assault rifles, armored tactical vehicles like Humvees and Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, as well as several UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. (Picture source: US DoD)
When the Taliban returned to power, they took control of an arsenal estimated at around one million pieces of military equipment, most of which had been financed and supplied by the United States during two decades of support to the Afghan National Army. This cache included American-made small arms such as M4 and M16 assault rifles, armored tactical vehicles like Humvees and Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, as well as several UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. A portion of this equipment was left behind by U.S. forces during their hurried withdrawal, while another part was abandoned by Afghan troops retreating in the face of Taliban advances. A former Afghan official, interviewed anonymously by the BBC, stated that this material was captured progressively as frontlines collapsed, amid widespread surrenders and desertions.
During a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council’s Sanctions Committee held in Doha at the end of 2024, Taliban representatives reportedly acknowledged that nearly half of the captured arsenal is now “unaccounted for.” A source close to the committee confirmed that the whereabouts of around 500,000 items remain unknown. This loss has triggered serious concerns over regional stability, especially since several armed groups—including Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and Yemen's Ansarullah—are believed to have gained access to these weapons via black market channels or direct transfers.
When contacted by the BBC, Taliban Deputy Spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat denied any loss or smuggling, insisting that “all light and heavy weapons are securely stored.” However, a 2023 UN report contradicted that statement, indicating that Taliban local commanders were allowed to retain up to 20% of seized weapons. These commanders, though affiliated with the movement, often operate with significant autonomy in their respective territories. In such contexts, the gifting or trading of weapons is widely practiced to reinforce alliances or consolidate local control. As a result, the black market has become a steady source of weaponry for multiple factions. In Kandahar, a former local journalist told the BBC that an open arms market operated for nearly a year after the Taliban took power, before moving to encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp. Through these channels, newly acquired or used U.S.-origin weapons continue to be traded among militia leaders, private buyers, and wealthy individuals.
On the U.S. side, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reported a lower number of weapons in its audits but acknowledged in a 2022 report that it was unable to establish precise figures. This discrepancy was attributed to the complex and fragmented supply chain, involving multiple federal agencies that financed, delivered, and distributed equipment over the years. SIGAR harshly criticized the Department of Defense for long-standing logistical tracking issues, citing systemic shortcomings dating back more than a decade. The State Department was also singled out for transmitting incomplete, inaccurate, and delayed data—an allegation it officially denied.
The issue quickly took on political significance in the United States, fueling criticism of the military withdrawal strategy implemented by the Biden administration. Former President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated his intention to recover the abandoned equipment. In a public address, he claimed that $85 billion worth of military gear had been left behind, adding that Afghanistan had become “one of the world’s largest sellers of military equipment.” This widely disputed figure includes costs associated with troop training, salaries, and civil infrastructure, and does not solely reflect the value of remaining hardware. Moreover, Afghanistan does not appear on the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's list of major global arms exporters. Nevertheless, Trump’s statements have reignited political debate over the long-term implications of the U.S. exit from Afghanistan.
By positioning themselves as an armed actor with significant resources, the Taliban consolidates internal authority while raising tensions with neighboring countries (Picture source: US DoD)
For their part, the Taliban have portrayed the possession of this equipment as a symbol of military success. Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Afghan state television that the weapons had been seized from the previous government and would be used to defend the country. The Taliban frequently showcase this material in propaganda videos, notably at Bagram Airfield, which once served as the central hub of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan. While the Pentagon stated in 2021 that most remaining equipment had been disabled before the withdrawal, the Taliban have nonetheless managed to rebuild a functional military force using this material. They have since gained operational superiority over rival groups, including the National Resistance Front (NRF) and Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).
A former Afghan government official told the BBC that hundreds of Humvees, MRAPs, and unused Black Hawk helicopters are still stored in warehouses in Kandahar. While the Taliban struggle to operate and maintain complex systems due to a shortage of trained technicians, they have successfully deployed simpler equipment, such as small arms and tactical vehicles, in their military operations.
Speaking at a recent event hosted by the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies, former SIGAR director John Sopko argued that any attempt to retrieve the abandoned U.S. equipment would be futile, as the recovery cost would far exceed its residual value. In the absence of concrete action, the continued circulation of these weapons and their potential transfer to radical groups remain a major concern for the international community.
Beyond the logistical failures, the situation raises several critical and interconnected issues. From a security standpoint, the unchecked spread of hundreds of thousands of modern firearms—alongside night vision equipment, armored vehicles, and other advanced systems—significantly increases the firepower of insurgent groups. It strengthens their ability to conduct coordinated attacks across already fragile regions, including the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Horn of Africa. These weapons now circulate within a transnational war economy largely beyond the reach of state control.
Politically, the crisis undermines the credibility of the United States and its allies by exposing deep flaws in the management and oversight of foreign military assistance programs. It fuels a broader critique of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan as hasty and poorly executed. The issue has also become an electoral talking point, with Donald Trump using it to underscore what he frames as the erosion of American strategic leadership.
From a geostrategic perspective, the Taliban’s enhanced military capabilities are altering regional dynamics. By positioning themselves as an armed actor with significant resources, the group consolidates internal authority while raising tensions with neighboring countries. China, Iran, Russia, and Tajikistan are all monitoring the situation closely amid fears of cross-border destabilization. Meanwhile, the global black market is enabling redistribution of this Western-supplied equipment to other conflict zones, including Yemen, Libya, and the Sahel.
From an industrial standpoint, the inability to track and secure this equipment highlights persistent flaws in U.S. defense logistics systems, despite billions of dollars invested over two decades. It casts doubt on the reliability of end-use monitoring mechanisms and could prompt a reassessment of international standards for arms tracking. For U.S. defense manufacturers, the appearance of their products in propaganda materials circulated by armed groups poses reputational risks and may affect future export contracts.
Finally, the proliferation of these weapons undermines international non-proliferation efforts, weakens UN sanctions regimes, and exposes the limitations of conventional post-conflict stockpile management. It suggests the need for a comprehensive reevaluation of how Western powers distribute, store, and, when necessary, recover military assets abroad, including new safeguards such as remote deactivation capabilities and contractual recovery clauses.