Taliban rebuff Trump’s call for return of US weapons

WASHINGTON: The Taliban won’t return any of the military equipment left behind by the US troops while exiting Afghanistan in 2021, a person familiar with the matter said, as relations between Kabul and the Donald Trump administration start on a wobbly note.

Instead of taking back the weapons, the US should provide the Taliban with more advanced weapons to fight the Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, an offshoot of the broader Islamic State organization, said the person, who did not want to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

This response came after Trump’s remark at a rally, where he threatened Afghanistan to snap all the financial assistance if the nation does not return US aircraft, air-to-ground munitions, vehicles and communications equipment.

Trump said, “If we’re going to pay billions of dollars a year, tell them we’re not going to give them the money unless they give back our military equipment.” However, the Taliban spokesperson didn’t respond to the comments made by US President Donald Trump. The US troops left Afghanistan after being deployed in the country for 20 years. The army left weapons worth $7 billion and left the country, which was overtaken by the Taliban.