The Taliban takeover may have plunged Afghanistan into uncertainty and economic pain, but arms dealer Khan Mohammad is making the most of it.

Sandwiched between a pharmacy and a general store, his shop in the Panjwai district of southern Kandahar province -- the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban -- is flush with fresh inventory.

Camouflage combat vests and bandoliers hung from the walls as Mohammed showed off his wares, including US-made Smith & Wesson pistols and ammunition belts.

More pistols, grenades, walkie-talkies and jars full of bullets lined the glass display in the front.

The end of the conflict has led many weapon-owners to conclude they no longer need them, Mohammad explained.

"People who have had guns at home for years bring us their weapons," he said.

Mohammad has a customer lined up too.

"We buy them and sell... to the Mujahideen," he said, referring to the Taliban.

"The Taliban don't let anyone else take (the weapons)."

Mohammad did not just have weapons -- there were accessories too.

White Taliban baseball caps with the Muslim proclamation of faith printed on them hung from the ceiling. The group's flags were also on sale.

Another dealer in the dusty Panjwai market, whose shop was adorned with large Taliban flags and pictures of the group's top leaders, had more potent offerings.

They included assault rifles -- variants of the AK-47 as well as the US-made M4 and M16 -- and even light machine guns.

The Taliban for years procured weapons and ammunition from the black market. They also captured arms and equipment from the battlefield and abandoned military posts, according to UN and Western monitors.

And the recent collapse of the Afghan military created an arms bonanza for the militants.

Alongside a large haul of American-made infantry weapons, Afghanistan's new rulers now possess equipment and vehicles -- including humvees, armoured personnel carriers, and at least one functioning Black Hawk helicopter.

The militants are also making the most of their spoils.

The Taliban are cashing in on a wide variety of items from abandoned Afghan and Western military bases.

They seized Panjwai district in July as the withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan gathered pace.

In the local market, everything from construction material to metal trays salvaged from the district's Afghan military base was for sale.

"We bought all these things from the Taliban after they conquered the Afghan army base," said vendor Murtaza, who gave only one name.

"Now we bring them to the market to sell."

Related Links
News From Across The Stans

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Taliban close to forming new government in Afghanistan
Kabul (AFP) Sept 3, 2021
The Taliban were on Friday close to forming a government, with the hardliners under intense international scrutiny over their vow to rule Afghanistan with greater tolerance, especially on women's rights. The announcement of a new administration, earlier expected to be made after Friday afternoon prayers, would now not happen until Saturday at the earliest, a Taliban spokesman told AFP. The Islamists face the enormous challenge of shifting gears from insurgent group to governing power, days after ... read more