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A confidential source has disclosed a parliamentary probe that the UK failed to secure sensitive equipment allowing the militant group to track down Afghans that had served with western forces.

Information Leak Puts Thousands at Risk

Person A, called Person A, stated that Afghans affected by the information breach were told to change residences and alter their contact details to avoid detection from the Taliban.

Lawmakers are looking into official handling of a catastrophic breach of private information affecting almost nineteen thousand Afghans who had applied to come to Britain to escape the regime.

How the Leak Happened

A spreadsheet with private information, comprising identities, contact details and in some cases household data, was accidentally leaked by an official stationed at UK special forces headquarters in February 2022.

The breach became known in late 2023, when identities of multiple applicants who had applied to move to the UK surfaced on social media.

Regime's Resources

“There seems to be this misconception that the Taliban are without comparable resources that allied forces use,” Person A informed MPs.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Should they obtain a contact number, they can trace your exact position. That is what the unit accomplished.”

Under inquiry about whether the Taliban possessed necessary encryption, Person A stated: “They have complete capability.”

Consequences of the Data Breach

Preliminary research submitted to the committee indicated that no fewer than forty-nine kin and associates of people concerned by the breach had been murdered.

A superinjunction regarding the incident was implemented in late 2023 and prevented relevant facts about it from media reporting until July 2025.

Safety Measures

Given injunction limitations, Person A and the non-governmental organization she collaborated with advised individuals at risk they were supporting that they had “concerns that mobile communications had been compromised”.

“We advised that they moved when possible and altered their contact details. That constituted the crucial data that, should militant forces obtained such data, would result in them being traced,” Person A explained.

Contested Findings

The source argued that government assessment performed by an ex-government employee had been mistaken to determine that the possession of the dataset by the Taliban was “minimally impact current risk levels”.

“The thing to remember is that these individuals are not standing up to militant forces; they live secretly. Everything boils down to former occupations.”

The source explained horrific violence experienced by affected individuals, comprising electrocution, waterboarding, and physical abuse.

“Instances include toddlers who have had limbs fractured to force households to reveal locations,” she testified.