Taliban Kills Afghan Soldier's Brother After Data Leak

The Taliban has reportedly killed the brother of an Afghan soldier who had served with British forces. The man was shot and killed on Friday, just days after a super-injunction was lifted. This injunction had previously concealed the details of over 50,000 Afghans whose information had been leaked in 2023. The lawyer representing the deceased man's brother believes the killing was not a coincidence.

Adnan Malik, head of data protection for Barings Law, is representing the Afghan soldier, who is in his forties. The soldier had relocated to Britain through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap). Malik stated that the Taliban discovered the victim was the brother of a member of a "Triple" unit and subsequently killed him. He believes the Taliban connected the dots, leading to the killing. The details surrounding the man's death have not been independently confirmed.

The "Triple" units were comprised of elite Afghan special forces who collaborated closely with the SAS. These units were established, managed, and funded by the UK, with a primary objective of identifying and eliminating Taliban insurgents. Malik emphasized that no amount of money could bring back the deceased and urged the government to learn from its errors. He also called on Downing Street to provide compensation to alleviate the uncertainty faced by the victims of the data breach.

The government is potentially facing significant financial liabilities, with thousands of victims expected to file claims. Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee is anticipated to launch an inquiry into the leak in the coming weeks. MI6 will be questioned regarding its failure to inform MPs and peers about the Afghan data breach.

The government has stated it will "robustly defend" itself against any legal action or compensation claims, relying on the findings of the independent Rimmer Review. The review concluded that it was "highly unlikely" that being listed on a spreadsheet would be grounds for targeting. This view is strongly contested by critics. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson reiterated the government's stance, citing the Rimmer Review's conclusions as the basis for its defense.