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Afghanistan
ChinaDiplomacy

Taliban’s haul of US weapons may add to problems in region, analysts say

  • Insurgents seized guns, ammunition, helicopters and combat aircraft from Afghan forces
  • Chinese military researcher says some of it could help fuel expansion of extremist and terrorist groups

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A Taliban fighter mans a machine gun during a patrol along a Kabul street on Monday, after a stunningly swift end to Afghanistan’s 20-year war. Photo: AFP
Minnie Chan
The Taliban’s haul of American weapons and equipment taken from the Afghan military could worsen instability in the region – including Xinjiang in China – if they fall into the hands of extremists, analysts say.
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Taliban fighters seized guns, ammunition, helicopters and even combat aircraft, according to the Associated Press, as they took over provincial capitals, military bases and on Sunday Kabul, in a rapid offensive after American troops withdrew. They met little resistance from US-trained Afghan forces.

The insurgents are now trading weapons like Russian Kalashnikov AK-47s for modern American assault rifles, and according to Chinese military researcher Zhou Chenming, it is this type of weaponry that could help fuel the expansion of extremist and terrorist groups in the region.

“If this weaponry that has been supplied by the US [to Afghan forces] – like guns, ammunition and armoured vehicles – is seized by extremists then it will certainly add to the difficulty and challenges of counterterrorism operations for all governments in the region,” said Zhou, from the Yuan Wang military science and technology institute in Beijing.

“In the past, extremist groups have … carried out surprise attacks using knives and home-made bombs, but the casualties will be much higher if they get hold of more powerful weapons.”

06:22

Why Afghanistan matters to China as US withdraws from war-torn country

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China – whose far western region of Xinjiang shares a short border with Afghanistan – is highly concerned about security in the country. Senior Chinese diplomats have called on the Taliban to cut ties with extremist groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which it has blamed for violent attacks in Xinjiang.
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