The Taliban Foreign Ministry has said that US weapons and military equipment left in Afghanistan will not be returned to the United States, claiming that the equipment now belongs to Afghanistan.
Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi made the remarks in an interview with CBS, stating that the military equipment left behind following the US withdrawal is now considered the property of Afghanistan.
The issue of US military equipment left in Afghanistan has remained a point of contention since American and allied forces completed their withdrawal from the country in August 2021. Large quantities of weapons, vehicles and other military equipment were left behind as the previous Afghan government and security forces collapsed.
The Taliban subsequently took control of much of the equipment, including weapons and military vehicles previously supplied to Afghan security forces by the United States and its international partners.
Balkhi’s comments indicate that the Taliban administration does not intend to hand the equipment back to Washington. The statement could further complicate discussions between the Taliban and the United States over security, diplomatic and other outstanding issues.
The United States has previously expressed concerns over military equipment left behind in Afghanistan and the possibility of such weapons being used by groups or individuals outside US control.
The Taliban, however, maintains that the equipment is now under Afghan control and should remain in the country.