LONDON — A top British news outlet reports that the Taliban have sold or smuggled hundreds of thousands of American-made weapons to terrorist groups.

US Weapons Left Behind in 2021 Withdrawal

These weapons were left behind when US forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021. The United Nations later confirmed that about 500,000 weapons went missing following the Taliban’s takeover.

Arms Allegedly Reaching Extremist Groups

The report highlights that many of these weapons have ended up with extremist organizations, including those affiliated with Al-Qaeda. The UN warns that these groups now possess advanced military hardware originally supplied by the United States to Afghan forces.

Taliban Can’t Account for Seized Equipment

Sources from the UN Security Council say the Taliban admitted they could not account for at least half of the captured weaponry. A UN monitoring committee official stated that the fate of nearly 500,000 weapons remains uncertain.

Taliban Denial Contradicted by UN Report

The Taliban claim the weapons are stored securely and deny any illegal activity. However, the UN’s 2023 report disputes this, revealing that local Taliban commanders were allowed to retain 20% of the seized arms.

Black Market Sales in Kandahar

Eyewitnesses and journalists in Kandahar reported open sales of American weapons in public markets for nearly a year. This trade has since gone underground, increasing concerns about black market trafficking and cross-border smuggling.

Billions in Equipment Lost, Say Officials

The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) confirmed a significant cache of American weapons is missing. Former US President Donald Trump claimed the lost equipment could be worth up to $85 billion.

Global Concern Over Future Attacks

The international community now faces growing pressure to track and recover the missing weapons. Experts fear these arms could fuel future terror attacks in the region and beyond.