SAS inquiry reveals possible summary killings of 80 Afghan civilians

Around 80 Afghans may have fallen victim to summary killings perpetrated by three separate British SAS units between 2010 and 2013, according to a Guardianreport.

Lawyers representing the bereaved families made these startling revelations at a public inquiry.

It is alleged that one SAS soldier personally ended the lives of 35 Afghans during a single six-month tour, following an alleged directive to eliminate "all fighting-age males" in targeted homes, regardless of the perceived threat they posed.

What do the lawyers claim?

According to the lawyers, numerous Afghans were fatally shot after being separated from their families by SAS soldiers. Even more concerning, in five incidents, the number of individuals killed exceeded the number of weapons recovered, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding these deaths.

These fresh claims have come to light through a document submitted by the law firm Leigh Day to a new public inquiry investigating allegations of war crimes committed by SAS soldiers in Afghanistan. The submission references concerns expressed by senior army officers at the time, including reports of a casual disregard for life. Despite these warnings, an internal review conducted in 2011 failed to bring about any changes in the patterns of killing.

The lawyers have documented 25 suspicious deaths between June 2011 and May 2013, including an incident where four or five Afghans lost their lives, despite the discovery of only one grenade. The intensity of the operation was so extreme that two Afghan children required urgent medical evacuation.

During the later stages of the UK's military presence in Helmand province, elite British SAS soldiers frequently conducted nighttime raids on family compounds in search of Taliban fighters. Despite previous estimates suggesting 54 Afghan victims attributed to a single SAS unit, the lawyers argue that the alleged offences involve a larger number of British troops and span a longer timeframe than initially suspected. The claims point to a disturbing pattern of unlawful extrajudicial killings.

In 2014, the military police launched Operation Northmoor, investigating over 600 allegations of offences committed by British forces in Afghanistan, including allegations of civilian killings by the SAS. However, the operation was shut down in 2017 by government ministers and concluded in 2019, with the Ministry of Defence asserting no evidence of criminality. The lawyers argue that subsequent years saw a concerted cover-up involving senior officers, officials, and multiple inquiries. Troublingly, there are reports that special forces headquarters deleted data shortly before military police investigators arrived for an examination.

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The full hearings for the public inquiry are scheduled to commence in the autumn. However, the Ministry of Defence has requested that certain pieces of evidence, particularly those concerning the alleged involvement of the SAS in Afghanistan, be heard in secret. Media organisations, including The Guardian, BBC, The Times, and The Daily Mail, are challenging this request, emphasising the seriousness of the allegations and the importance of transparency.

The Ministry of Defence stated that it is for the inquiry, led by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, to determine the scope and conduct of its investigations. The public inquiry aims to shed light on these grave allegations and provide justice and accountability for the victims and their families.

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