Britain's agents have been pulled out of missions in "hostile countries" after Russia and China broke into some top secret information contained in files leaked by former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
The agents that were pulled out were part of M16, the U.K.'s security service tasked to defend British interests abroad, according to Reuters.
China and Russia have both managed to get a hold of the encrypted classified documents leaked by Snowden that government sources say could identify British and American agents and even their intelligence surveillance techniques, Reuters reported, citing the Sunday Times.
The turning point in the recall of British agents is Russia being able to decrypt more than 1 million files.
The unnamed sources added that the agents are key officers from the office of British Prime Minister David Cameron, the Home Office (interior ministry) and security services, according to ABC News Australia.
The U.K. government is now being urged by David Davis, the Conservative MP, to explain to the public if there is truth to the allegations of an information breach into MI6, The Guardian reported.
A pending piece of legislation regarding the new surveillance bill will be subjected to debates this fall.
The U.S. government wanted Snowden to stand trial after the leaks, but he fled to Russia for asylum in 2013.
