ISLAMABAD: The recovery of US-manufactured weapons from militants killed during security operations in Balochistan has raised fresh questions about the flow of American military equipment into militant networks operating in the region.
Security sources said Pakistani forces recovered M16 and M4 rifles, aiming lasers and night-vision devices from the bodies of militants belonging to the group Pakistan refers to as Fitna al-Hindustan.
The reported recovery has added to concerns about the use of weapons left behind by US forces in Afghanistan by militant groups operating against Pakistan.
According to the claims, a letter attributed to Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, concerning the provision of weapons to Fitna al-Hindustan, also points to alleged links between the Afghan Taliban leadership and the militant group.
An intelligence report further alleges that India’s intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), paid $7.8 million to support sabotage and militant activities in Balochistan.
The report also points to alleged coordination among Indian, Afghan and Israeli actors in attacks against Pakistan. A retired Indian army colonel has reportedly acknowledged the alleged involvement of Indian and Israeli elements, alongside the use of Afghan territory, in attacks carried out through groups identified by Pakistan as Fitna al-Hindustan and Fitna al-Khawarij.
Meanwhile, an intelligence assessment cited by the Associated Press reportedly revealed a meeting between Indian and Afghan intelligence officials, hosted by Afghan Governor Mullah Shirin, to discuss militant activities against Pakistan.
Representatives of Fitna al-Hindustan, al-Qaeda and the Gul Bahadur group were also reportedly present at the meeting, according to the intelligence report cited by the news agency.
A separate report by the US government watchdog, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), has highlighted the scale of military equipment left behind after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The report estimated that approximately $7.1 billion worth of US-funded military equipment remained in Afghanistan following the withdrawal. Concerns have since emerged over the potential access of militant groups to this equipment under the Afghan Taliban administration.
Reports by the United Nations and international publications have also examined the movement of weapons and military equipment from Afghanistan into the hands of militant organisations.
RAW-Afghan Taliban Nexus Behind BLA, TTP Attacks in Pakistan: Report
The latest weapons recovery in Balochistan has renewed scrutiny of the alleged links between militant groups, cross-border networks and the military equipment left behind in Afghanistan.
