Soldiers who were part of British special forces working in Afghanistan have expressed concerns to a public inquiry that Afghans who posed no threat had been murdered in raids against suspected Taliban insurgents, some of whom were under the age of 16.
The independent investigation was ordered by the British Ministry of Defense after a BBC television documentary revealed that Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers killed 54 people in suspicious circumstances during the war in Afghanistan , more than ten years ago.
The investigation relates to a number of nighttime raids known as deliberate detention operations carried out by British forces between mid-2010 and mid-2013. On Wednesday, it published a summary of the testimonies of seven members of the British special forces (UKSF) who gave evidence in secret for reasons of national security and cannot be named.
One of the soldiers, known only as N1799, told the inquiry he raised concerns in 2011 about a unit called UKSF1 after having a conversation about its operations with one of its members during a training course.
During these operations, it was said that ‘all men of fighting age are killed’ on the target, regardless of the threat they posed, including those who did not carry weapons,” said his witness.
It was also reported that “men of fighting age” were executed on target, inside the compounds, using various methods after being subdued. In one case, it was reported that a pillow was placed over an individual’s head before he was shot and killed.”
When questioned by the inquest’s lawyer, he said he understood that this concerned people aged under 18 and under 16.
N1799 raised his concerns with other senior officers who took them seriously. Other officers told the inquest they had heard rumors and had their own concerns about UKSF1 operations, where the high number of deaths and official reports of killings suggested some d ‘among them were probably not justified.
An officer, identified as N2107, had emailed colleagues expressing disbelief at summaries of UKSF1 operations which suggested detained suspects had been allowed to return to compounds where they then allegedly took weapons and attempted to attack the unit.
MURDER”
“While murder and [l’UKSF1] have never been regular bedfellows, it’s starting to look like bone,” he said in an email, telling the commission of inquiry that this meant she looked ” very stupid.”
During his testimony, he agreed with Oliver Glasgow, the inquiry’s lead lawyer, that in April 2011 he believed UKSF1 may have carried out extrajudicial killings.
None of the soldiers who testified in the investigation, which opened in 2023, said they witnessed such behavior.
British military police have previously carried out several investigations into allegations of misconduct by forces in Afghanistan, including against the SAS, but the MoD said none of them had found sufficient evidence for prosecution.
The investigation aims to determine whether there were credible reports of extrajudicial killings, whether investigations by military police years later into N1799’s concerns were properly conducted, and whether unlawful killings were carried out. concealed.
N1799 said he still felt disloyal in speaking out and requested that two Defense Ministry officials be removed from the investigation room before he gave his statement, fearing for his own safety.
“I think I did the right thing and I continue to do it, but it’s not easy,” he told the commission of inquiry. “It makes me a little sick.”
