ISLAMABAD: More than a month to the Jaffar Express hijacking incident, US-based newspaper Washington Post has revealed that the militants used the weapons abandoned by the US forces in Afghanistan.
According to the investigative report published on Monday, The Post said 63 weapons were seized from militants which were provided to the Afghan forces by the US during the two-decade war in the region. Pakistan has repeatedly voiced its concerns regarding the access of advanced weapons in Afghanistan, while urging the United Nations to recover armament before it falls into the hands of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and other such banned outfits.
On March 11, BLA militants took over the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan taking more than 300 passengers as hostages. According to the ISPR, 33 militants were killed in the day-long operation, while 31 officials and civilians were also killed during the hijacking.
Jaffar Express attack: at least 25 bodies retrieved
Pakistani officials have given The Washington Post access to various weapons which were seized from different militants since May. Following a detailed inquiry with the Pentagon and US Army, it was confirmed that 63 weapons were provided by the US including M16 rifles, alongside several, more-modern M4 carbine models: “Pakistani officials also displayed a handful of PVS14 night-vision devices, which are used throughout the American armed forces but could not be independently verified as former US government property.” Using the serial numbers inscribed
“After the March 11 train attack by Baloch militants, which claimed at least 26 lives, Pakistani officials provided serial numbers for three U.S. rifles allegedly used by the attackers. At least two came from U.S. stocks and had been provided to Afghan forces, according to records obtained by The Post through the Freedom of Information Act,” the report said.
President Donald Trump has also threatened to permanently cut aid to Afghanistan unless the Taliban returned the US-provided military equipment. The report also quoted analyst Michael Kugelman that Pakistan risked falling back to the period between 2009 and 2014 when terrorism peaked in the country. A reference to the 2023 report by Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said that over USD seven billion worth American ammunition was still present in the country.
Pakistani weapons dealers say advanced gear was sold off at scrap prices. Pakistani military sources told The Post that militants are now using night vision and thermal equipment with small drones to conduct more precise attacks. Islamabad has urged the US to address the leftover weapons issue, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly agreeing during the telephonic exchange.