US arms left in Afghanistan now with Taliban, claims Pakistan

Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. Pic/Twitter

Pakistan's caretaker prime minister claimed on Monday that US military equipment left behind during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan has fallen into militant hands and ultimately made its way to the Pakistani Taliban.

The equipment - which includes a wide variety of items, from night vision goggles to firearms - is now "emerging as a new challenge" for Islamabad as it has enhanced the fighting capabilities of the Pakistani Taliban, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said.

The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, have over the past months intensified attacks on Pakistan's security forces. They are a separate militant group but an ally of the Afghan Taliban.

There is no definite information on how much US equipment was left behind - but the Taliban seized US-supplied firepower, recovering guns, ammunition, helicopters and other modern military equipment from Afghan forces who surrendered it. Though no one knows the exact value, US defence officials have confirmed it is significant.

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