Taliban enforces new restrictions on weapons possession in Afghanistan

On October 30, the Taliban's Ministry of the Interior announced new regulations on the transportation and storage of weapons, stressing a stronger commitment to controlling arms possession across Afghanistan.

Under a directive from the Taliban’s leader, both government personnel and private citizens are now prohibited from carrying or storing weapons without an official permit, Caliber.Az reports referring to foreign media.

The ministry specified that these permits will now be issued solely by the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation within the Ministry of the Interior, with permits from any other institution deemed invalid.

Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban has actively pursued public disarmament, often using coercive tactics to collect weapons from civilians.

Reports suggest that, on some occasions, individuals have been forced to surrender their arms under threat.

According to the ministry, the new regulations aim to enhance oversight of weapons and reduce disturbances within communities.

Following the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, a considerable amount of American military equipment was left behind, much of which is now believed to be in the possession of Taliban forces.

Meanwhile, a congressionally mandated report from the US Department of Defense reveals that around $7 billion worth of military equipment provided by the US to the Afghan government over a span of 16 years was left in Afghanistan following the American withdrawal. 

The Defense Department confirmed it had no intention of returning to Afghanistan to retrieve or destroy the abandoned equipment.

According to the report, the US supplied a total of $18.6 billion in military resources to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) between 2005 and August 2021.

Of this, equipment valued at $7.12 billion, including aircraft, armoured vehicles, munitions, weapons, and communications gear, was left behind when US forces departed on August 30, 2021.

By Aghakazim Guliyev