A large cache of advanced weaponry abandoned by the US in Afghanistan during its 2021 military withdrawal has reportedly made its way onto Pakistan’s black market, falling into the hands of various militant and separatist groups. This is according to an investigative report by The Washington Post.
At the time of the US withdrawal, weapons worth approximately $7 billion were left behind in Afghanistan. These included around 250,000 assault rifles, 18,000 night vision devices, and thousands of other arms and defense systems. A Pentagon official told the paper that Washington doesn’t consider itself responsible for this arsenal, as it had been officially handed over to the former Afghan government.
After the Taliban’s (banned in Russia) takeover later that year, much of this equipment was looted from military depots and crossed into Pakistan via the porous border. American-made rifles, machine guns, and rocket launchers began appearing in local arms markets. One Pakistani arms dealer said that right after the Taliban came to power, night vision devices worth $2,000 were being sold for as little as $300.
In 2025, US-made weaponry still floods Pakistani markets. Pakistani authorities have expressed concern that these arms have ended up with jihadist groups like Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch nationalist insurgents. In one case, militants from the Balochistan Liberation Army reportedly used American weapons during the March 11 hijacking of a passenger train.
A Pakistani special forces commander described how militants have gained a technological edge in nighttime operations thanks to night vision gear that government forces lack. “They could see us, but we couldn’t see them,” he said, also noting that insurgents use the equipment to launch drones under cover of darkness.
According to South Asia security analyst Michael Kugelman, Pakistan risks sliding back into the violent era of 2009–2014, when the country was a hotspot for terrorist activity. Against this backdrop, Islamabad is reportedly appealing to US President Donald Trump for assistance in cracking down on the illegal flow of abandoned American weaponry.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense
Based on materials from TASS