Patrushev: Over 300,000 Western small arms left in Afghanistan

“Combating terrorism on Afghan soil is impossible without eliminating its resource base.

A separate source of income is the illegal supply of weapons both inside Afghanistan and outside it.

Basically, we are talking about weapons abandoned in huge quantities by the Western coalition during the retreat, ”Patrushev said in Dushanbe during the fourth round of multilateral consultations on the Afghan issue.

It is reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the press service of the apparatus of the Security Council of Russia.

“According to our estimates, we are talking about more than 1100 units of armored vehicles and armored personnel carriers, about 40 aircraft and 40 helicopters of varying degrees of serviceability, up to 350 artillery pieces, 500 mortars, 250 units of anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, more than 300 thousand units of heavy and light rifle weapons," Patrushev said.

In mid-May, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Tajik leader Emomali Rahmon discussed by telephone the topic of increased terrorist activity in Afghanistan.

The leaders confirmed that the competent departments of Russia and Tajikistan will continue to cooperate in order to ensure security on the Tajik-Afghan border.

In April, India and the United States called on the Taliban* to prevent terrorists from using Afghan territory.

* "Taliban" - the organization is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.