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A confidential source has revealed an official investigation that the UK left behind classified technology permitting Afghanistan's rulers to identify local individuals that had served with allied troops.

Information Leak Puts Thousands at Risk

The source, called Person A, testified that Afghans affected by the information breach were told to change residences and alter their phone numbers to protect themselves from militant forces.

Lawmakers are looking into the UK government's response of a massive leak of private information involving almost nineteen thousand individuals who had requested to move to the UK to avoid militant rule.

The Information Breach Occurred

A spreadsheet containing confidential details, comprising names, phone numbers and occasionally relative details, was accidentally leaked by a worker working at UK special forces headquarters in last year.

The breach became known only in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had sought to relocate to the UK appeared on Facebook.

Regime's Resources

It appears there is a false assumption that the Taliban do not have the same sort of facilities that we have,” Person A informed MPs.

All equipment was abandoned in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have a contact number, they can trace your exact position. That is what specialized teams accomplished.”

During testimony about whether the Taliban possessed necessary encryption, the whistleblower confirmed: “They've got everything.”

Aftermath of the Security Lapse

Early investigations submitted to the committee indicated that approximately fifty kin and associates of people concerned by the incident had been executed.

A legal restriction about the leak was put in force in late 2023 and restricted any information regarding the matter from public disclosure until July 2025.

Protective Actions

Because she was restricted, the whistleblower and the aid group she was working with told affected households they were supporting that they had “suspicions that somebody's phone had been breached”.

“We advised that they change residence when possible and altered their phone numbers. That constituted the two main details that, if the Taliban had access to such data, would cause identification and capture,” Person A explained.

Contested Findings

The source contested that internal investigation performed by a former official had been incorrect to conclude that the acquisition of the records by militant forces was “minimally impact current risk levels”.

“The crucial point is that these individuals are not confronting the Taliban; they remain concealed. All concerns relate to their previous employment.”

Person A described horrific abuse experienced by affected individuals, comprising electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and severe beatings.

“We have had young kids who have had bones crushed to pressure the family to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.