Pen Guns of Kabul

In recent weeks we’ve seen a large number of media reports stemming from an AFP report which was picked up by numerous outlets reporting on pen guns confiscated in Kabul. The clandestine nature of the pen guns no doubt amplifying international interest. AFP or Agence France-Presse is an international news agency and the story was picked up by news outlets around the world including the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia. A cache of some 48 pen guns was discovered during Afghan National Police operations.

According to the AFP report Kabul’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) confiscated nearly 50 of these pen guns along with a number of ‘sticky bombs’ which were reportedly intended for planting under vehicles. According to an Interior Ministry spokesperson, Tariq Arian, “the terrorists wanted to use these weapons in complex-target killings in the capital. The discovery of the hideout prevented a number of targeted killings in Kabul.” According to Arian the confiscated cache of weapons also included “Two machine guns, four magnetic mines and a 9-meter-long incendiary device”. Arian shared a number of photographs on his twitter account, these can be seen below, they also include what appear to be a large number of detonators.

https://twitter.com/TariqArian3/status/1307309137164984321

Interestingly, Afghanistan’s Ministry of the Interior has not shared any photographs of the confiscated pen guns on their social media pages. The ministry frequently posts images of arrested suspects and captured weapons and explosives. The news of the pen gun confiscation was not featured on the ministry’s website either.

Despite the 48 pen guns reportedly discovered, just 17 are shown in the photographs released, however, some of of the other weapons captured are also absent from the images. The design of the single-shot pen guns is simple, they appear to have a linear striker which is pulled to the rear by what looks like the pen’s button. The user than releases the striker, allowing it to go forward and ignite the cartridge inside the pen. The caliber of the pen guns is unclear although from the images available it appears to be a small diameter round – perhaps .22 calibre or .25 ACP (6.35×16mmSR).

The Afghan National Police operation took place on 19th-20th September, following a recent surge in assassination attempts. An unnamed CID official told the AFP that “more than 40 people have been killed in targeted assassinations in the past six months in Kabul alone,” it is believed that these assassinations are being carried out by Taliban-linked groups. The single-shot, small caliber, pen guns are believed to have been used in a number of these assassinations. The nature of the weapons means that while they are useful clandestine tools they also require the user to be very close to their target – directly in contact in some cases.

Although pen guns can definitely be used as tools of covert assassination, within the wider regions of Central Asia and the Middle East they tend to be more often of a novelty among gunmakers and collectors. These examples below were fabricated by a gunsmith in the Syrian city of Kobani, chambered in .32 ACP.

Similar designs to that confiscated in Kabul have been seen for sale in Darra Adamkhel, and in Kabul, for many years. The origins, however, of the recently confiscated weapons have not been confirmed. Below is a photograph of a pen gun from Darra, manufactured by the Badar Arms Company. The basic design appears to be very similar with an in-line striker.

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