Dozens of Afghan interpreters airlifted to the UK are being recruited by the British Army as “cyber warriors” to fight terrorism.
Top-tier Afghan linguists will help a specialised unit within 77 Brigade snoop on social media and jihadist websites to monitor terror networks.
By boosting Britain’s fight against a fresh terror threat from Afghanistan, it could help stop attacks in the UK and abroad.
As the last US evacuation flight left Kabul airport, the Taliban tightened their hold.
They carried out house-to-house searches for ex-government officials while locals trying to access their cash faced mile-long bank queues.
Crowds took to the streets as Taliban fighters held parades and held “mock funerals” for British and other NATO troops.
The group’s so-called elite 313 Badri Brigade was pictured examining looted planes and helicopters at the airport, gloating over their prizes, dressed in Western-style fatigues.
Billions of pounds’ worth of military hardware – including 22,174 Humvees, 64,363 machine guns and 33 Black Hawk attack helicopters – have been left behind, said charity Action On Armed Violence.
Much of the looted equipment is being shipped to Quetta in Pakistan, either to be sold to jihadi groups or kept as war bounty.
As chaos engulfs the country, Islamic State is believed to be growing, escalating concern that British would-be jihadis may enter Afghanistan for terror training.
Fears are rising that the Taliban’s association with al-Qaeda could trigger fresh attacks against the West.
And the ISK terror group has threatened to follow up on last week’s suicide bomb attack near the airport.
More than 170 Afghans and 13 US troops were killed by an ISK suicide bomber.
A US airstrike on Sunday hit an ISK “suicide bomb car” but locals said the 10 killed were a family, including six children.
The “cyber warriors” are being recruited in addition to hundreds of SAS-trained Afghan Special Forces commandos to help the British Armed Forces fight terror, with units being deployed back into the region.
A senior source said: “It is very worthwhile harnessing this capability to tackle what may be a huge terror threat from al-Qaeda and Islamic State in Afghanistan.
“They will push into ‘key terrain’ which before the internet was always the battlefield – now the war is being fought in cyber space.”
The MoD said it was “assessing how to best support” thousands of Afghans welcomed into the UK, and “utilise their skills and experience”.
Head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, indicated the RAF could strike against ISK in Afghanistan.
He said: “If there’s an opportunity for us to contribute I am in no doubt that we will be ready.”
