In March 2025, an American-made M4A1 rifle surfaced during a brutal train hijacking in Pakistan. The weapon was originally sent to Afghanistan in 2018. It was manufactured in Connecticut and bore the serial number W1004340. This discovery exposed one of the most dangerous consequences of the US military’s disorderly exit from Afghanistan in 2021.
That rifle is just one example. Many weapons from the US were handed over to Afghan security forces. Since the fall of Kabul, large quantities of this gear have crossed into Pakistan through unguarded border points. These American arms now equip insurgents, terrorists, and groups that seek to destabilise the country.
The Washington Post reported that numerous US weapons have been recovered in Pakistan. Pentagon officials confirmed that these firearms once belonged to the United States. Weapons seized from militants include M4 rifles, M16s, and advanced night-vision equipment like the PVS14.
“They had modern American gear,” said Ahmad Hussain, a special forces officer injured during a nighttime ambush. “They could see us in the dark. We couldn’t see them.”
Officials in Pakistan directly link the spread of US weapons in Pakistan to the rise of extremist groups. Both the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch insurgents have reportedly benefited. The March 11 train attack, which killed over 25 people, led investigators to trace serial numbers on recovered rifles. These matched arms once supplied to Afghan troops by the US.
A statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed serious alarm. It said, “The presence of advanced American weapons in terrorist hands is deeply troubling.”
A 2023 SIGAR report estimated over $7 billion worth of US military gear was left behind during the withdrawal. The Pentagon admitted that equipment may have been seized, but claimed that only a tiny portion had fallen into militant hands. Once the gear was transferred, it officially became Afghan property.
Following the US exit, weapon markets like Darra Adamkhel thrived. Raz Muhammad, a long-time trader, told the Post, “The market was flooded with American weapons.”
TTP commander Qari Shuaib Bajauri confirmed the group used falling prices to its advantage. They acquired thermal scopes, advanced rifles, and even drone-guided bombs, according to the US report.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghan government have worsened. Cross-border clashes have increased. The Taliban insists that the remaining US arms are “secure.” But Pakistani officials are not convinced.
Disappointed by the Biden administration, some Pakistani officials are now pinning hopes on Donald Trump to act. “We believe the US should take responsibility,” one official told the Post.
For officers like Ahmad Hussain, the issue of US weapons in Pakistan is personal. Shot by militants using American rifles, he holds both the insurgents and Washington accountable. “Both are to blame,” he said.
