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A confidential source has told the Afghan leak inquiry that British authorities left behind classified technology enabling Afghanistan's rulers to identify Afghans who worked with allied troops.

Information Leak Endangers Thousands in Danger

The source, called Person A, stated that Afghans affected by the information breach were instructed to relocate and alter their phone numbers to protect themselves from the Taliban.

Lawmakers are currently examining the UK government's handling of a serious breach of private information involving almost nineteen thousand individuals who had asked to come to Britain to avoid the regime.

The Information Breach Occurred

An electronic document containing their personal data, such as names, phone numbers and in some cases family information, was accidentally leaked by a worker employed at UK special forces headquarters in February 2022.

The breach came to light months later, when the names of multiple applicants who had requested to settle in Britain surfaced on social media.

Taliban Capabilities

It appears there is a false assumption that the Taliban do not have the same sort of facilities that western nations possess,” Person A informed lawmakers.

“We left it all behind in Afghanistan; they have it. If they have your phone number, they can trace your precise location. That's precisely what specialized teams achieved.”

Under inquiry about if militant forces owned advanced decryption, Person A declared: “They've got everything.”

Aftermath of the Security Lapse

Early investigations provided to the investigation estimated that at least 49 family members and co-workers of Afghans affected by the leak had been executed.

A legal restriction concerning the breach was enacted in August 2023 and restricted all details about it from public disclosure until July 2025.

Security Recommendations

Because she was restricted, Person A and the volunteer organization associated with told individuals at risk they were working with that they had “apprehensions that certain devices had been breached”.

“We advised that they relocate where feasible and switched their phone numbers. Those were the crucial data that, if authorities had access to these details, would lead to them being traced,” Person A explained.

Contested Findings

The source contested that internal investigation conducted by a retired civil servant had been mistaken to state that the possession of the dataset by militant forces was “not significantly alter current risk levels”.

“The important fact is that these individuals are not confronting the authorities; they remain concealed. All concerns relate to past work history.”

The source explained horrific treatment endured by affected individuals, including electric shock torture, interrogation techniques, and violent assaults.

“We have had toddlers who have had limbs fractured to force relatives to say where someone is,” the whistleblower revealed.