One of 3 British detainees in Afghanistan is ex-UK soldier

Kabul [Afghanistan], April 10 (ANI): Among the three British detainees, who are currently held in Taliban custody in Afghanistan, one of them has been identified as a former United Kingdom soldier, TOLOnews reported citing a security official.
The detainee had also spent his military mission in the southern province of Helmand, which is considered one of the most severely conflict-affected provinces of Afghanistan. Earlier, three British nationals, including so-called “danger tourist” Miles Routledge, were held in Taliban custody in Afghanistan, according to Khaama Press.


The soldier has come to Afghanistan under the name of a journalist, according to TOLOnews citing a source.
The source claimed that all the detainees held illegal weapons. Kevin Cornwell, 53, and another British national were detained on January 11, 2023, by the Islamic Emirate in Kabul.
The Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) detained Cornwell at his hotel in January as the suspect of keeping an illegal handgun in his room safe. However, the family claimed that Cornwell had a licence for it.


Earlier, Khaama Press reported that among the three detainees, “danger tourist” Miles Routledge is also there. Routledge had been evacuated from Afghanistan by the British military in August 2021, but he just made the decision to go back.
He is a famous YouTuber who travels to dangerous countries and posts about them on social media, reported Khaama Press.
Routledge’s Twitter states that he goes “to the most dangerous places on Earth for fun”, listing off recent destinations as Afghanistan, South Sudan and Ukraine.
In February, he tweeted that if he were ever placed on a “no-fly list”, he would take an “Uber to Afghanistan.”


“If they come here illegally, or violated the laws of Afghanistan or worked as spies for other countries, it is considered a crime and any country has the right to detain such foreign nationals and introduce them to the relevant organizations,” said Sarwar Niazai, a military analyst, as per reported in TOLOnews.
“The country should be rescued from the spies, the country should be rescued from the intelligence circles. The Islamic Emirate should not allow these invader countries to send their intelligence representatives to our country,” said Toryalai Zazai, a military veteran.
The UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, commented on the detention of three British nationals in Afghanistan, saying, “If there are British citizens abroad, then the UK government is going to do whatever it takes to ensure that they are safe.”