An SAS chief responsible for planning top-secret operations in the Middle East was under armed protection recently after a life-threatening security blunder led to his identity being exposed on the Internet.

The commander met high-ranking officers from a Middle Eastern country earlier this month to discuss joint operations between UK Special Forces and local troops. During the get-together a photograph was taken of the officers in their desert uniforms. This image and a report of the event should have been vetted by British officials before being released to the media in the host country. Astonishingly, the leaking of the officer’s name and his role were discovered not by the Ministry of Defence or the Foreign Office but by The Mail.

Due to his status, the man is considered a prime target for Islamic terrorist groups. The Mail intervention triggered a tightening of his personal security arrangements.

The MoD also thanked The Mail for bringing the matter to its attention and a spokesman insisted that efforts were being made to remove the material from websites.