Islamabad/Washington (Web Desk): Modern American-made weapons that were left behind in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal are now reportedly turning up in militant attacks in Pakistan, heightening security fears across the region.
A recent CNN investigation highlights that these abandoned arms have evolved into a serious danger not only for Pakistan but also for countries bordering Afghanistan. The equipment had originally been provided to bolster the former Afghan military’s capabilities, yet large stockpiles were never removed during the American exit.
John Sopko, the former head of the US.
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), told CNN that roughly 300,000 sophisticated US weapons remained in Afghanistan at the time foreign forces pulled out.
The report suggests that militant groups gaining access to this arsenal have been able to escalate both the frequency and lethality of their assaults, prompting alarm in Pakistan as well as in Iran and China.
Among the organizations said to be using these weapons are the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). Fighters linked to these groups are believed to be equipped with modern US-origin firearms such as M4 and M16 rifles, M249 light machine guns, Remington sniper rifles, along with night-vision gear.
CNN also notes that the United States formally designated the BLA as a terrorist organization in August 2025.
Pakistani security personnel reportedly presented CNN journalists with weapons recovered from militants that bore American markings.
Ongoing investigations indicate that the same type of advanced arms has been used in multiple attacks in South Waziristan and various parts of Balochistan, reinforcing concerns that leftover military equipment from Afghanistan is now fueling instability beyond its borders.