Taliban Used Abandoned British Gear to Locate Afghans Who Worked With Western Troops, Inquiry Is Told
A whistleblower has revealed a parliamentary probe that the UK abandoned classified equipment permitting the militant group to identify local individuals who collaborated with international military.
Information Leak Puts Thousands at Risk
The source, known as Person A, testified that Afghans affected by the information breach were told to relocate and change their mobile numbers to ensure their safety from militant forces.
Lawmakers are looking into official management of a serious breach of private information concerning almost nineteen thousand individuals who had requested to move to the UK to flee militant rule.
How the Leak Occurred
A spreadsheet including confidential details, such as identities, contact details and in some cases family information, was accidentally leaked by a worker stationed at special operations center in early 2022.
The incident came to light in late 2023, when details of multiple applicants who had sought to move to Britain appeared on online platforms.
Militant Technology
“There seems to be a misunderstanding that Afghan rulers are without the same sort of facilities that allied forces use,” she told lawmakers.
“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have your phone number, they can trace your exact position. This is exactly how the unit did.”
During testimony about regarding if authorities owned necessary encryption, Person A stated: “They've got everything.”
Impact of the Information Leak
Initial findings provided to the committee estimated that no fewer than forty-nine family members and associates of Afghans affected by the breach had been killed.
A superinjunction about the leak was put in force in late 2023 and blocked all details regarding the matter from being made public until July 2025.
Security Recommendations
Because she was restricted, Person A and the volunteer organization she was working with advised affected households they were assisting that they had “concerns that mobile communications had been breached”.
“We recommended that they relocate when possible and altered their mobile numbers. These represented the primary information that, should militant forces acquired this information, would lead to identification and capture,” the source testified.
Contested Findings
Person A contested that internal investigation carried out by an ex-government employee had been wrong to conclude that the obtaining of the information by the regime was “not significantly alter current risk levels”.
“The thing to remember is that these Afghans are not confronting the Taliban; they live secretly. Everything boils down to former occupations.”
The source explained disturbing violence endured by at-risk Afghans, including electric shock torture, simulated drowning, and severe beatings.
“Instances include toddlers who have had bones crushed to pressure households to reveal locations,” Person A stated.
