US Department of Defense (DOD) has failed to keep track of thousands of sensitive military equipment it had given to the Afghan forces, alleged a quarterly report released by US congressional watchdog in Afghanistan. 

A report released by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction ( SIGAR) said DOD has failed to keep track of sensitive military equipment like surveillance systems, control of laser-guided bombs, night vision equipment among others. 

According to rules, the DOD is mandated to monitor end-uses of this equipment when they are supplied to other nations. 

The goods transferred to the Afghan government are “some of the most sensitive of all defense articles” and were supposed to be fully inventoried by the US every year, to ensure they were being used for their intended purpose and were not transferred to a third party without US government consent, says the report. 

Lack of monitoring in conflict zone means these high tech equipment remain vulnerable to theft or loss. The report also mentioned that two years back, Afghan forces had told US monitors that around 19 out of 48 night vision devices had fallen into enemy hands, and 29 listed as destroyed, damaged or lost.