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A confidential source has told a parliamentary probe that the UK abandoned classified devices enabling Afghanistan's rulers to locate local individuals who collaborated with allied troops.

Information Leak Endangers Thousands at Risk

The source, known as Person A, stated that individuals impacted by the information breach were told to move homes and alter their mobile numbers to avoid detection from militant forces.

MPs are currently examining the Conservative government's handling of a serious disclosure of personal details concerning almost nineteen thousand Afghans who had applied to move to the United Kingdom to escape militant rule.

How the Leak Was Discovered

An electronic document containing private information, such as identities, addresses and in some cases family information, was inadvertently disclosed by an official working at UK special forces headquarters in early 2022.

The incident came to light months later, when identities of nine people who had applied to relocate to Britain were posted on Facebook.

Militant Technology

Many believe there's this misconception that Afghan rulers lack comparable resources that allied forces use,” Person A informed lawmakers.

Technology was deserted in Afghanistan; it's in their hands. Once they acquire your phone number, they can trace you down to within metres. This is exactly how intelligence groups achieved.”

During testimony about if militant forces possessed advanced decryption, Person A stated: “They possess all resources.”

Impact of the Data Breach

Early investigations provided to the committee estimated that no fewer than forty-nine relatives and colleagues of Afghans affected by the leak had been executed.

A legal restriction regarding the incident was put in force in late 2023 and blocked relevant facts about it from public disclosure until mid-2025.

Protective Actions

Because she was restricted, the source and the non-governmental organization she collaborated with told affected households they were supporting that they had “suspicions that mobile communications had been compromised”.

“We advised that they change residence if they could and altered their contact details. Those were the crucial data that, if the Taliban had access to this information, would result in identification and capture,” she said.

Contested Findings

The whistleblower disputed that an official review performed by a former official had been incorrect to state that the acquisition of the dataset by the Taliban was “unlikely to substantially change present danger”.

“The important fact is that these Afghans are in hiding from the authorities; they are in hiding. All concerns relate to former occupations.”

The source explained horrific treatment suffered by concerned people, including electrocution, interrogation techniques, and physical abuse.

“We have had four-year-old children who have had their arms broken to try to get relatives to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.