US weapons used in train hijacking: WP

A US-made rifle, originally shipped to Afghanistan over seven years ago for Afghan security forces, surfaced at the site of a train hijacking in Pakistan last month, lending weight to claims that American weapons left behind in Afghanistan are now being used in terrorist activities. According to a US media report published Monday, a Colt M4A1 carbine rifle was among billions of dollars' worth of US military equipment provided to Afghan forces, much of which was abandoned following the American troop withdrawal in 2021. The Washington Post report said that many of these leftover weapons, including the Colt rifle, have ended up across the border in Pakistan, now in the hands of terrorists. The incident highlights how the consequences of America's failed war continue to echo years after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. On March 11, the Jaffar Express, travelling from Quetta to Peshawar, was hijacked by militants belonging to the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) after a series of explosions on the railway track in a remote, rugged area in Balochistan. A 30-hour siege followed. However, Pakistani security forces successfully carried out a daring operation to rescue over 300 passengers on board. A total of 33 militants, including suicide bombers, were killed during the operation. Following the incident, Pakistani officials displayed M-16 rifles, night vision devices, and other advanced weapons recovered from the attackers. Officials clearly stated that the recovered weapons were American-made and had been left behind in Afghanistan by US forces. The newspaper, citing local officials, noted that US-supplied assault rifles, machine guns and night-vision goggles are now being used by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists and other militant groups to carry out attacks across Pakistan. Pakistani authorities granted The Washington Post access to dozens of weapons seized from captured or killed militants, the report added. Pakistan has expressed deep concerns over the presence of advanced US weapons in the hands of terrorists. Recently, US President Donald Trump threatened to permanently cut suspended aid to Afghanistan unless the Taliban returned the US-supplied military equipment. However, Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the weapons now belonged to Afghanistan. A United Nations report last year concluded that Afghan Taliban "rank and file" directly supply the group with weapons and equipment. Pakistani officials are pinning their hopes on the Trump administration, stressing that the US should do something about these weapons.

اگر آپ اس خبر کے بارے میں مزید معلومات حاصل کرنا چاہتے ہیں تو نیچے دیے گئے لنک پر کلک کریں۔

مزید تفصیل