Advanced American military weapons left behind in Afghanistan following the US withdrawal are being actively used in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, posing a grave and expanding security threat to the region, according to a detailed investigation by the US news network CNN.
The report states that the large cache of modern US-made weapons abandoned during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan has not only destabilized Pakistan but has also emerged as a serious security concern for all of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries. The situation highlights the Taliban’s continued failure to control, secure, or prevent the proliferation of sophisticated military hardware now circulating among terrorist networks.
According to CNN, these weapons were originally supplied to enhance the operational capacity of the former Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. However, during the US withdrawal, vast quantities of this equipment were left behind, effectively falling into the hands of militant groups operating in and from Afghanistan.
Former Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) head John Sopko confirmed that at the time of the US withdrawal, approximately 300,000 modern American weapons were present in Afghanistan. Since then, the absence of effective oversight and control under Taliban rule has allowed terrorist organizations to gain access to this arsenal.
CNN reports that terrorist groups’ access to these advanced weapons has significantly increased both the scale and lethality of terrorist attacks. The report warns that the situation is particularly dangerous for Pakistan, China, and Iran, all of which face direct or indirect security fallout from militancy emanating from Afghan territory.
According to the investigation, terrorists belonging to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) are using American-made assault rifles, machine guns, sniper weapons, and night-vision equipment in their operations. The weapons identified include M-4 and M-16 rifles, M-249 machine guns, Remington sniper rifles, and advanced night-vision devices, dramatically enhancing terrorists’ battlefield capabilities.
CNN further noted that in August 2025, the United States formally designated the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) as a terrorist organization. The report also revealed that Pakistani security forces showed CNN correspondents US-stamped weapons recovered from terrorists, providing tangible evidence of the origin and misuse of the abandoned arms.
Multiple terrorist attacks carried out in South Waziristan and Balochistan were reportedly conducted using the same advanced American weaponry. Security experts cited in the report warned that access to modern firearms and night-vision technology has become a major obstacle to counterterrorism operations, allowing militants to operate more effectively, especially in Pakistan’s border regions.
Analysts argue that the unchecked spread of US weapons reflects the Taliban’s inability or unwillingness to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a hub for armed militant groups. This failure has directly contributed to worsening security conditions in neighboring countries and has intensified threats along Pakistan’s western border.
The report concludes that unless urgent international measures are taken to control and recover abandoned weapons and hold the Taliban accountable, the continued misuse of advanced military equipment will further destabilize the region and undermine counterterrorism efforts.
