The VHS-2 bullpup self-loading rifle manufactured by Croatia’s HS Produkt became one of the most frequently seen rifles during the Iraqi counter-offensives against ISIS during 2015-17. The rifle regularly appeared in news reports and social media posts and became somewhat synonymous with the fighting for Fallujah and Mosul.
Afghanistan
ANSF Modifications of Weapons Captured by the Taliban During Their 2021 Offensive
I recently wrote a blog post for ARES (Armament Research Services), Silah Report is a subsidiary of ARES, about weapons captured by the Taliban during their 2021 offensive which toppled the Afghan Government. You can check out the article here.
This article will go over some of the modifications made to the weapons captured from ANSF (Afghan Security Forces) by the Taliban during their 2021 offensive. These modifications appear to have been made by the ANSF before they were captured.
Intriguing Rifle On The Black-Market In The Pak-Afghan Region
Since the Emiraat-E-Islami Afghanistan (Dari: امارت اسلامی افغانستان – English: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan or IEA for short), also known as the Taliban, retook control of Afghanistan from the US-backed government in Kabul, a massive number of arms, munition and vehicles were captured and/or surrendered to them by government and allied militant forces. All this occurred before and leading up to the capture of Kabul on 15th August 2021 by the IEA.
How YOU can make a difference in Afghanistan
Silah Report has studied the small arms history, traditions and culture of Middle East & North Africa for many years. Our founder Miles Vining is an Afghanistan veteran and has worked with organisations as a civilian. The US’ hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan has created a humanitarian nightmare centred around a chaotic evacuation from Kabul. There … Read more
Hekmatyar’s AK
Recently, a colleague from Afghan Eye, an independent media organisation covering Afghanistan, shared with us a video uploaded by a Twitter user which purportedly showed an Afghan elder of some renown handling and firing an AK-pattern rifle. The man in question was Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
Forgotten Weapons Reviews Into Helmand with the Walking Dead
Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons has reviewed, Silah Report’s editor-in-chief and co-founder, Miles Vining’s new book ‘Into Helmand With The Walking Dead‘. The book includes passages from Miles’ friend Kevin Schranz, another former Marine combat veteran who sadly took his own life in 2015. The book brings together their experiences in Helmand and after. Miles was also recently a guest on Ian’s channel and discussed Iraqi Tabuk AK-pattern rifles.
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.
AR15 Rifles from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Based Royal Arms Company
The AR15 or ‘M16’ & ‘M4’ pattern self-loading rifles are a very popular choice in many commercial and military markets the world over, Pakistan is no exception. Some Pakistani law-enforcement and military units utilise varying models of this platform already and a large prevalence of M4 and M16 5.56×45mm rifles of various types and manufacturers have been creeping onto the market slowly in the last few decades or so, none more so than the Colt or FN marked M4A1 and M16A2/A4 rifles seeping through from Afghanistan in the last decade. There is such a high demand for these particular firearms and a low supply and high price for genuine examples that various manufacturers stepped up-to-the plate and have started to manufacture their own copies within the ex-FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, mainly in Peshawar’s small-arms manufacturing zones but also within the infamous arms manufacturing town of Darra Adamkhel.
A Look Inside An Afghan Weapons Maintenance Facility
Masoud Andarabi, Afghanistan’s former acting NDS Chief and Deputy Director for Ops and current Acting Minister of Interior, has shared a short video of an Afghan Ministry of Defense weapons maintenance facility.
Examining Makarov Handgun-Clone of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Origin
While in Afghanistan we received the unique opportunity to examine a 9×18mm PM Makarov-patterned self-loading handgun that was produced in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (خیبر پښتونخوا, Land of the Pakhtuns) region of northeastern Pakistan (formerly known as the North West Frontier Province, NWFP). Small arms produced in this region have been colloquially referred to as “Khyber Pass Guns” in the West due to their point of travel into Afghanistan through the passage of steep mountain valleys between Torkham in Pakistan and Jalalabad in Afghanistan. Somewhat of a misnomer, the majority of these firearms are actually made nowhere near the Khyber Pass. Instead, a more correct and prominent center of gun making in the region is the small town of Darra Adam Khel (درہ آدم خیل), which lies approximately 40 kilometers due south from Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.