Afghan special forces’ data leaked in double betrayal

‘Triples’ abandoned despite fighting alongside British troops

- HOLLY BANCROFT SOCIAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT

Hundreds of Afghan special forces soldiers betrayed by Britain had their details leaked in a major data breach before being left in the dark about the potential threat to their lives from the Taliban, The Independent can reveal.

The leak in February 2022 involved the names and contact information of 18,700 Afghans being shared “in error” by a Ministry of Defence (MoD) official, and prompted a top-secret operation to scramble thousands to safety in Britain.

Among the names were those of members of two specialist units, known as the Triples, whose soldiers have faced death or torture by the Taliban because of their role training and fighting side by side with British forces, as revealed by this publication.

The Independent spearheaded a campaign urging the government to grant members of the Triples sanctuary in Britain after many were left stranded and in danger, following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021.

Now it has emerged that around half of the commandos initially identified for relocation to the UK were affected by the breach, which became the subject of a draconian superinjunction amid fears the dataset could fall into the hands of the Taliban.

The Triples members only knew about the blunder as the order was lifted on Tuesday after an extraordinary two-year legal battle over the gagging of the British press.

Hundreds of Triples soldiers, along with their families, have been brought to the UK, but there are fears many have been left behind in Afghanistan, where their lives are still at risk.