The Taliban have published a series of photographs of their fighters at an Independence Day parade brandishing US assault weapons. The parade took place in the city of Qalat, the capital of Zabul province, on Thursday. The photographs show a Taliban unit carrying M4 carbines, which were supplied by the US to Afghan forces in recent years.

US national security officials are working to account for more than 20 years worth of weapons provided to the Afghan military as images of Taliban fighters brandishing American-made rifles and riding in abandoned Humvees are raising concerns about what else was left behind.The Taliban’s newfound American arsenal is likely not limited to small arms, as the group captured sizable stockpiles of weapons and vehicles held at strongholds once controlled by US-backed forces, including modern mine-resistant vehicles (MRAPs) and Humvees.Initial estimates suggest the Taliban may now also possess several Black Hawk helicopters and other US-funded military aircraft, according to a congressional source familiar with early assessments provided by defense officials.

That potentially includes roughly 20 A-29 Tucano attack planes, the source said, […]

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