—– TTP using US leftover weapons in terrorism on Pakistani soil: Analysts
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The weapons left over by the US forces in Afghanistan are being used by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in cross-border terrorist activities against Pakistan.
It was evident from the recent terror attacks by the TTP from the Afghan soil in Pakistan that its terrorists were blatantly using the weapons left behind by the foreign forces in Afghanistan to damage peace and security in the region, the well-informed political and defence analysts said on Sunday.
They said the Pakistan Army had been fighting the war against the TTP for the last two decades. However, it was a known fact that its terrorists had full access to the weapons, which the US and NATO forces had left behind after facing humiliating defeat in the so-called war against terror. It had significantly damaged the security of the region, particularly in Pakistan, which had seen an surge in terrorist activities since the the fallout of Afghan defence forces. An intelligence-based operation was conducted against terrorists in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan district on December 29, 2023,. At least, five terrorists, including their commander Rahzaib Khurray, were killed in the exchange of fire during the operation.
Foreign weapons, including M4 Carbine and Ak-47 along with ammunition were recovered from the terrorists. Such type of foreign arms had been used in many terrorist attacks in Pakistan in the past also. The Baloch Liberation Army, which attacked FC camps in Nowshki and Panjgur districts in February, 2022, was also using the same weapons.
The attack on the Zhob Garrison on July 12, 2023 also involved the use of American weapons by the TTP. On September 6, 2023, the TTP terrorists armed with the latest American weapons attacked two army check posts in Chitral. The weapons recovered from the terrorists in the November 4 Mianwali Air Base attack were foreign-made, including RPG-7, AK-74, M-4 and M-16/A4.
Moreover, the night vision goggles and American rifles were also used by terrorists in the terrorist attack in Daraban area of Dera Ismail Khan on December 12. In the terrorist incident in Tank on December 15, modern American weapons used.
Three policemen were martyred and five terrorists were killed. The terrorists used M16/A2, HE Grenades, and AK-47.
On December 13, Customs and security forces recovered modern American weapons from onion sacks from a vehicle coming from Afghanistan to Pakistan. The weapons included modern American made M4, American rifle, and grenades.
The smuggling of advanced foreign weapons from Afghanistan into Pakistan and the TTP’s use of the American weapons against the security forces and the people of Pakistan are a big question mark on the claims of the Afghan Interim Government of not allowing the use of its land against Pakistan.
The Eurasian Times also claimed that the US-made weapons were used by the TTP terrorists in their terror acts on the Pakistani soil.
The US had delivered a total of 427,300 combat weapons to the Afghan military, with 300,000 remaining at the time of its withdrawal, the Pentagon said. However, due to the massive arsenal, the region witnessed a massive increase in terrorism during the last two years.
The United States provided equipment worth $18.6 billion to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces between 2005 and August 2021, the Pentagon said.
After the US withdrawal, those weapons helped the TTP carry out cross-border terrorist attacks. It all shows that the Afghan regime is not only arming the TTP but also providing a safe haven to it and other terrorist organizations.
