SAS soldiers ‘executed dozens of unarmed Afghan civilians and covered up the killings’, probe claims
A rogue unit of the elite special forces is accused of shooting dead suspected Taliban insurgents on night raids in 2011
SAS soldiers covered up the killings of dozens of unarmed Afghan civilians, according to a probe.
The men were said to be from a rogue unit which shot dead suspected Taliban insurgents on night raids.
In one case from 2011 the British soldiers allegedly handcuffed and hooded their targets before shooting them dead.
They are also suspected of planting pistols on victims as well as falsifying mission reports so it appeared Afghan special forces partners were to blame.
The potential war crimes were uncovered by Royal Military Police investigators working on Operation Northmoor, run from a military bunker in Cornwall.
The allegations were said to be supported by drone film, while bullets retrieved from victims’ bodies were of a type used by the SAS, according to The Sunday Times.
But the Ministry of Defence was so fearful of news leaking out it has scaled down the probe, a source told the paper.
It is now confined to just four “unlawful killings” in one family rather than the original 52.
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The revelations came as it emerged that dozens of British soldiers are still under investigation for war crimes in Iraq.
The 27 cases were left over from the Iraq Historic Allegations Team, which was wound down this week after being accused of hounding innocent soldiers.
The inquiries, along with ten others from Afghanistan, are now being handled by military police.
An MoD spokesperson said: “Where allegations are raised it is right they are investigated.”