In a development that underscores the escalating cross-border threat to Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban’s Interior Ministry has confirmed the seizure of a large cache of U.S.-origin weapons in Paktia province arms widely believed to be used by TTP Khawarij in terror attacks inside Pakistan. According to Taliban officials, the Counter-Terrorism Police of the Paktia Provincial Police Command recovered three Kalashnikov rifles, 25 magazines, nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition, two pistols, three hand grenades, and various other military-grade equipment during a recent operation against illegal arms networks.
Security analysts warn that these weapons are part of the vast arsenal left behind by U.S. and NATO forces following their abrupt withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Instead of securing or neutralizing these stockpiles, the Taliban regime has allowed them to proliferate many ending up in the hands of TTP Khawarij, who have launched a series of deadly cross-border attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
Despite repeated diplomatic engagements, the Afghan Taliban has consistently failed to dismantle TTP sanctuaries operating from Afghan soil. Their inability or unwillingness to prevent the flow of advanced weaponry into the hands of banned terrorist outfits has exacerbated Pakistan’s internal security challenges, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal districts.
“The seizure of such weapons confirms what we’ve been warning about for months—these U.S.-made arms are being used by TTP Khawarij against Pakistan,” a senior Pakistani security official said. “The Afghan Taliban’s lack of action amounts to complicity.”
The Afghan Taliban’s repeated assurances on curbing terrorism have proven hollow as TTP leaders continue to operate openly under their protection. The seizure in Paktia, though significant, highlights the scale of the problem rather than a solution.
Pakistani officials are once again urging the interim Afghan government to take verifiable and irreversible steps against all terror groups using Afghan territory to destabilize Pakistan. Until then, the threat posed by TTP Khawarij—armed with foreign-supplied weapons and emboldened by the Taliban’s inaction will continue to grow.
