Taliban sold US weapons to militant groups: report

A significant cache of military weapons and equipment left behind in Afghanistan following the 2021 US withdrawal has reportedly been lost, sold, or smuggled to militant groups, sources told the BBC.

According to a former Afghan official, the Taliban came into possession of nearly one million US-funded weapons and equipment after regaining control of the country.

These included American-made firearms such as M4 and M16 rifles, vehicles like Humvees and MRAPs, and advanced hardware including Black Hawk helicopters.

Sources at a closed-door UN Security Council Sanctions Committee meeting in Doha in late 2024 confirmed that about half of these weapons—roughly 500,000 items—are now “unaccounted for.”

A UN report in February 2025 said some of the missing weapons have been accessed by groups affiliated with al-Qaeda, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, and Yemen's Ansarullah.

Taliban officials deny the allegations. Deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat told the BBC that all weapons are stored securely and dismissed reports of smuggling or loss.

However, a 2023 UN report noted that the Taliban had allowed local commanders to keep up to 20% of seized weapons, with many entering the black market.

Arms were also reportedly being exchanged or sold via encrypted apps like WhatsApp, especially in southern provinces like Kandahar.

The US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) acknowledged in a 2022 report that tracking the total number of weapons left behind was difficult due to overlapping agency responsibilities and poor record-keeping over the years.

Former US President Donald Trump, who returned to office in 2025, has voiced intentions to reclaim the lost weaponry, stating that as much as $85 billion worth of equipment was left in Afghanistan.

However, the figure has been contested, with critics noting it includes broader spending such as training and salaries.

The Taliban, in response, maintains that all seized equipment is now part of its national defense capability. Propaganda videos have shown Taliban forces displaying US military gear as symbols of victory.