British forces killed more children in Afghanistan than it previously acknowledged: Report
British soldiers in Afghanistan
New figures released under the Freedom of Information request made by a UK non-profitAction on Armed Violence (AOAV) has found that the government had hid the number of killed Afghan children and compensation paid for the casualties.The new figures state that the UK government released compensation payments for 64 children, which was four times more than the publicly acknowledged figure of 16.
The records show that the youngest casualty was a one-year-old child and the oldest was 15. the average age of children killed stood at six.
Nearly all children were killed by Britain's top forces between 2006 and 2014. However, AOAV is of the view that the numbers could go up to 135.
The NGO said that the Ministry of Defence, in most cases, described fatalities as merely sons and daughters. The ages and circumstances of the death were not included.
“In total, some 164 people (adults and children) were killed in those attacks involving confirmed or suspected children. Some 68 of the 135 confirmed and suspected child deaths were from airstrikes, constituting some 50 per cent of all deaths,” saidAOAV.
In total, 881 fatality claims were made to the British government out of which most were rejected and only a quarter received compensation.
As reported by WION, in July, a BBC investigation also showed that Britain's elite Special Air Service (SAS) corps had killed at least 54 Afghans in suspicious circumstances.
Citing military sources, the report noted that senior officers including General Mark Carleton-Smith were aware of concerns within the SAS about the operations.
Based on leaked emails, court documents as well investigations on the sites of the operations in Afghanistan, the BBC programme "Panorama" questions the conduct of UK forces in Afghanistan.
WATCH |WION Fineprint | British contractors live in hiding in Afghanistan
Previously, the British ministry of defence conducted an investigation into the claims but found insufficient evidence to presscharges.
(With inputs from agencies)
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