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A confidential source has disclosed a parliamentary probe that the UK abandoned sensitive devices allowing the militant group to track down local individuals that had served with international military.

Information Leak Puts Thousands in Danger

The source, identified as Person A, testified that Afghans affected by the security lapse were advised to change residences and switch their phone numbers to ensure their safety from the ruling authorities.

Members of Parliament are currently examining official handling of a catastrophic disclosure of private information involving approximately 19k individuals who had asked to come to Britain to avoid the Taliban.

The Information Breach Happened

A data file including confidential details, such as names, phone numbers and in some cases family information, was mistakenly released by a staff member employed at UK special forces headquarters in February 2022.

The leak was discovered in late 2023, when identities of multiple applicants who had applied to move to the UK appeared on online platforms.

Taliban Capabilities

“There seems to be this misconception that the Taliban lack comparable resources that we have,” she told lawmakers.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they possess it. Should they obtain a contact number, they are able to track you down to within metres. This is exactly how the unit accomplished.”

During testimony about whether the Taliban possessed advanced decryption, the whistleblower stated: “They've got everything.”

Aftermath of the Information Leak

Early investigations presented to the inquiry suggested that no fewer than forty-nine kin and colleagues of people concerned by the leak had been killed.

A gag order concerning the breach was implemented in August 2023 and blocked all details regarding the matter from public disclosure until July 2025.

Safety Measures

Because she was restricted, Person A and the non-governmental organization she collaborated with told Afghan families they were working with that they had “suspicions that certain devices had been intercepted”.

“We advised that they relocate when possible and switched their phone numbers. That constituted the two main details that, if authorities acquired this information, would cause identification and capture,” Person A explained.

Contested Findings

Person A disputed that an official review conducted by a retired civil servant had been wrong to state that the acquisition of the information by the Taliban was “not significantly alter an individual's existing exposure”.

“The thing to remember is that these individuals are not standing up to the authorities; they remain concealed. Everything boils down to former occupations.”

The source explained horrific treatment suffered by at-risk Afghans, including electrocution, waterboarding, and violent assaults.

“There are cases of young kids who have had their arms broken to pressure households to say where someone is,” Person A stated.