The Taliban posted photos of hundreds of US military vehicles it said were abandoned in the chaotic pullout of Afghanistan and now form part of its army
Afghan MOD
- The Taliban posted pictures of hundreds of military vehicles abandoned by the US.
- The US abandoned the equipment in its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
- The Taliban now claims to have repaired the vehicles and is using them.
The Taliban claims to have repaired and put back to use around 300 military vehicles abandoned by the US during its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
In a Twitter post by the Afghanistan defense ministry, rows of the vehicles are pictured, some of which appear to be armored trucks resembling Humvees.
According to the Khaama News Agency citing state media, the vehicles had been intentionally damaged by the US and its allies during the hasty coalition withdrawal from the country in April, 2021, and are now being used by Taliban forces.
—د ملي دفاع وزارت - وزارت دفاع ملی (@MoDAfghanistan2) March 24, 2023
The US abandoned $7 billion of military equipment it had provided the former Afghan government in its battle with Taliban insurgents before it collapsed and its international backers fled, according to a 2021 congressional report obtained by CNN.
The Taliban has used the equipment to modernize its forces. It showcased seized US military vehicles in a parade in Kabul in 2021, Reuters said.
Retired US Central Command head Gen Kenneth McKenzie said in 2021 that 70 mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles were abandoned in Afghanistan, along with 27 Humvees, according to the BBC.