ISLAMABAD: More evidence point to an alarming increase in the use of foreign-made weapons brought from Afghanistan to Pakistan by outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists. With the latest revelations, it has been now an open secret that the proscribed TTP terrorists have access to weapons left by the United States in Afghanistan, a local television channel reported.
The situation raises concerns about the security dynamics in the region, especially with evidence suggesting that the TTP has access to weapons left by the United States in Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation on January 29 in the North Waziristan district, resulting in the elimination of terrorist Naik Minallah. American-made weapons, including an M-4 Carbine, were recovered from the slain terrorist, exposing the TTP’s possession of foreign-manufactured arms.
TTP’s Possession of Foreign-Made Weapons
In a similar incident on January 22, security forces killed seven terrorists in the Sambaza area of Zhob district in Balochistan. The weapons recovered from these terrorists, which included M-16/A2, AK-47, sleeping bags, hand grenades, and other foreign-made arms, further underscored the concerning trend.
Earlier, on January 19, security forces thwarted the incursion of two terrorists at Bachi Sar along the Pakistan-Afghan border in Miran Shah district. The recovered weapons, consisting of foreign-made firearms like M16/A4 and AK-47, raised questions about the smuggling of modern sophisticated arms from Afghanistan to Pakistan.
The use of US-made weapons by the TTP in operations against Pakistani security forces and civilians has prompted scrutiny of the Afghan interim government’s claims of preventing the use of its soil against Pakistan. The situation suggests not only an alarming arming of the TTP but also raises concerns about the Afghan regime providing a safe haven to various terrorist organizations.
Prominent defense publications, including EurAsian Times, have also highlighted the use of US-made weapons by the TTP in terrorist activities within Pakistan.
