Afghan Officers Who Spied for Britain ‘Abandoned’ Despite Being Promised Safe Passage to UK

 A dozen Afghan intelligence officers who spied for British troops said they have been left to the mercy of the Taliban despite being promised safe passage to the UK.

The 11 men and one woman worked for the country’s National Directorate of Security (NDS), an agency disbanded by the Taliban after they seized the capital Kabul in August, The Daily Mail reported. 

They are among thousands of Afghans and Britons still to be evacuated from the war-torn country.

It came amid claims that RAF planes that could be used to fly desperate Afghans to Britain from Pakistan has been returning virtually empty. 

Sources said the Voyager A330 flights had contained only civil servants returning to the UK for Christmas.

The NDS officers conducted surveillance operations for British forces – including undercover missions for MI5 and MI6 to infiltrate groups like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda – with their primary role was to unearth terrorist plots in Afghanistan or against the West.

The operatives, whose ranks range from colonel to major general, are in hiding with their families. One officer was given an ‘Eagle’ award from British troops for valour on his secret missions.

Human rights groups claim more than 100 former NDS officers have been executed by the Taliban since August.

Susan Mateen, from the Afghan Council of Great Britain (ACGB) which is campaigning to bring them to Britain, said the suicide bomb attack at Kabul airport on August 26th had prevented the dozen NDS officers from being flown out. They have since been told that they need to cross into Pakistan before they can be rescued.

“These 12 individuals served Britain and British counter terrorism missions loyally with many having 10 years or more of service, which in turn kept British troops safe and stopped terrorism to our shores,” said Mateen, adding, “The British government has a duty to save them, but the UK has abandoned them to the Taliban.”

According to a source, Voyager A330 flights which can carry up to 291 passengers have been departing in recent weeks with as few as 25 on board, usually Foreign Office officials returning home for Christmas.