British special forces operated in Russia under Putin's watch, report reveals

Britain's Special Air Service and other special forces have reportedly been involved in clandestine operations in at least 19 countries since 2011, a study by London-based Action by Armed Violence has revealed. The British special forces also operated in Russia to protect the country's athletes against potential Islamic terror attacks during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Closer to India, in Pakistan, the British special forces operated to locate and target potential Al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives.

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The study, which describes the aforementioned British armed force constituents as "shadowy units", stated that this covert deployment has been carried out in several countries, including Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, Syria, Ukraine and Sudan.

The London-based research group has compiled a list of these activities based on media leaks.

Pakistan and Russia: How British special forces operate(d) there?

The report said that the Special Boat Service (SBS) and Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) members from the UK participated in operations in Pakistan. “They worked alongside American forces to locate and target high-value individuals linked to al-Qaeda and the Taliban,” it said.

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It also revealed that UK Special Forces had a presence in Russia during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, “where they were tasked with protecting athletes against potential Islamic terror attacks.”

Where have British forcesclandestinely operated?

According to Action on Armed Violence, since 2011, UK Special Forces (UKSF) have been primed to contact or surveil hostile forces in Algeria, Estonia, France, Iran/Oman (Strait of Hormuz), Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mediterranean (Cyprus), Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.

"There are a further six sites where UKSF have trained foreign forces or where they have based themselves before launching into another country. These are: Burkina Faso, Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Djibouti," the report adds.

There are also another seven locations, not included in the above lists, known to be used by UKSF for their own exercises and engagements, it states further, adding these locations to be: Albania, Falklands, Gibraltar, Belize, Brunei, Malaysia, and Canada.

The report says that in many missions, the UK Special Forces are sent off "without any parliamentary approval" beforehand.

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The British Special Air Services (SAS) is reported to be behind the deliberate assassination of British citizens in Iraq and Syria, and the alleged cover-up of multiple killings of innocent Afghan civilians, including children.

The British SAS also reportedly outsourced its operatives to MI6, the British intelligence powerhouse, to deny "kill-or-capture missions in Yemen".

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