In a shocking revelation that has sent shockwaves through the intelligence community, more than 100 British officials—including elite special forces and MI6 operatives—have had their identities exposed due to a catastrophic data breach, putting the lives of thousands of Afghans who cooperated with the UK at severe risk.

Details of this alarming incident were partially disclosed after a High Court judge lifted a super-injunction on Thursday, previously shielding the information from public awareness. The exposed data, which included sensitive personal details, highlighted the vulnerabilities facing those who bravely assisted British forces during two decades of conflict in Afghanistan.

Just days prior, the government had acknowledged that nearly 19,000 Afghans, along with their applications for resettlement in the UK, had been unintentionally leaked. With the Taliban actively pursuing vengeance against those they perceive as traitors, many of these individuals now face the threat of serious harm or death.

The breach, which originated in February 2022, only came to light in August 2023 when an individual in Afghanistan shared portions of the leaked data on Facebook, hinting at the potential release of further sensitive information.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) took the unprecedented step of fast-tracking that individual's refugee application—a move described by insiders as "essentially blackmail." The MoD has refrained from commenting on the specifics of the case, insisting that all Afghan resettlement applicants must undergo thorough security vetting.

In response to this alarming breach, the government established the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR), a scheme aimed at relocating those affected without informing them of the breach—despite the dire risks involved. To date, the scheme has successfully relocated 4,500 Afghans and their families, with an additional 2,400 expected, costing an estimated £850 million.

The breach itself was a result of a blunder by UK Special Forces staff, who mistakenly emailed over 30,000 resettlement applications to an unauthorized recipient, confusing a mere 150 cases with the entire database. Following the lifting of the initial super-injunction, a subsequent injunction that barred reporting on the identities of the compromised personnel was also lifted after negotiations between the MoD and media representatives.

In a Parliamentary session, Defence Secretary John Healey labeled the breach as a "serious departmental error" and admitted it was part of ongoing issues with data integrity involving Afghan relocation efforts. His counterpart, shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge, issued an apology on behalf of the previous Conservative government.

While the MoD has declined to disclose the number of individuals in Afghanistan potentially harmed by the breach, reports indicate that the Taliban's pursuit of those named in the data has intensified. Family members of the affected have expressed mounting fears for their loved ones, underscoring the chilling reality of this breach.

A MoD spokesperson reiterated the longstanding policy of not discussing special forces details, emphasizing their commitment to the security of sensitive personnel and the measures in place to protect them.