One million weapons were originally part of the vast Arsenal that was besieged by the Taliban when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, and have now been lost, sold or sold to militant groups, according to sources who spoke anonymously to British media.

Shocking revelations confirmed by the United Nations suggest that some of these U.S.-funded weapons even fell into the hands of Al Qaeda’s branches.

A former Afghan official revealed that when the Taliban swept Afghanistan in 2021, they controlled about a million weapons and military equipment, most of which were provided and funded by the United States.

The cache includes sophisticated American-made guns like the M4 and M16 rifles, as well as old weapons left over from decades of conflict.

Sources at the closed door at the UN Security Council sanctions committee meeting held in Doha in the second half of last year indicated that the Taliban itself acknowledged that at least one million of this equipment (which is an astonishing 500,000 items) have been “unspecified”.

The committee’s sources confirmed the figure and obtained other sources.

In addition, a report released by the United Nations in February pointed out that Qaesh branches, including the Dehrik-Taliban (TTP), including the Islamic movement in Uzbekistan and the Islamic movement in eastern Turkey, are being visited by weapons that the Taliban touches directly or through the Taliban.

When faced with the British media, Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, strongly denied the claim.

He asserted: “All light weapons are stored firmly. We strongly reject the claim of smuggling or loss.”

However, the 2023 UN report contradicts this, saying the Taliban allowed local commanders who often operated with large amounts of autonomy to retain 20% of U.S. weapons, thus fueling the black market.

The United Nations further pointed out that “the gift of weapons is widely practiced between local commanders and fighters to consolidate power, “shaping the black market as “the source of weapons for the Taliban.”

A former reporter from Kandahar added these concerns, revealing that the Taliban had flourished in the city a year after its takeover, and it wasn’t until recently moved underground and operated through WhatsApp.

This Meta-owned instant messaging platform helps wealthy individuals and local commanders in the United States support the trade in new weapons and equipment abandoned by troops.

Although U.S. agencies responsible for the Afghan Reconstruction Project (Sigar) figures record a smaller number of weapons, the 2022 Sigar report acknowledged that they were unable to obtain accurate information due to years of involvement in funding and providing equipment.

Sigar’s report cites “for more than a decade, the gaps and problems tracking equipment with the Department of Defense (DOD)”.

Sigar also criticized the State Council for providing “limited, inaccurate and inappropriate information” about the remaining equipment, which the department denied.

The issue remains politically accused, with U.S. President Donald Trump vowing to reclaim his weapons, estimated at $85 billion, despite the controversial figure.

“Afghanistan is one of the world’s largest military equipment sellers, you know why? They’re selling the equipment we left behind,” Trump said at the first cabinet meeting of the new administration.

“I want to investigate. If we need to pay, that’s great, but we want our military equipment to be returned.”

The Taliban responded to Trump’s claims with spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, who will use weapons, and the Taliban often marched as a symbol of victory over the United States to defend the country.

“We have seized these weapons from the last government and will use them to defend the country and respond to any threats,” he told Afghan media.

Despite claims of banning the upgrade after the evacuation, the Taliban used these weapons to build a capable army.

Sources show that hundreds of unused advanced vehicles and helicopters in Taliban warehouses remain in the Taliban warehouses despite their limited capacity for complex machinery operation. Simple devices such as Hummers are effectively used.

John Sopko, former head of Sigar, believes that any attempt to regain a weapon “meaningless” believes that the cost will outweigh the value.

Whether Trump will take any action remains to be seen, but at the same time, the spread of weapons in the region and visits from militant groups remain unresolved.