Independent Inquiry Launched into Alleged Afghan Civilian Killings by British Special Forces
An independent inquiry is underway to investigate allegations that British special forces were involved in the unlawful killing of Afghan civilians during counterinsurgency operations. The claims date back to a decade ago, between 2010 and 2013, when night raids were carried out by elite military units in Afghanistan.
Families of the victims assert that their loved ones were innocent unarmed civilians, urging the inquiry to uncover the truth. Among the allegations is one case where nine men were allegedly shot in their beds during a raid. The British military, however, maintains that the soldiers were acting in self-defense.
The investigation will examine submissions from the families of 33 individuals, including eight children, who were purportedly killed by special forces. Oliver Glasgow, the lawyer representing the inquiry, made it clear that anyone found with credible information of wrongdoing, regardless of their rank or position, will be referred to the relevant authorities.
Email exchanges between senior military officers have been cited during the inquiry, revealing concerns raised about the number of casualties at the time. Some of the emails referred to a casual disregard for life and discussed the disproportionality between the number of enemy fatalities and the number of weapons recovered.
The inquiry was initiated following legal challenges presented by some of the affected families against the UK government. It will scrutinize two prior investigations conducted by the Royal Military Police, resulting in no prosecutions for allegations of wrongdoing by UK armed forces in Afghanistan.
Last year, when the BBC aired details about the alleged unlawful killings in an investigative program, the Ministry of Defense responded by referencing the lack of evidence from the previous inquiries and stating it was irresponsible and incorrect to report the allegations.
The deployment of British forces to Afghanistan began in 2001 as part of a NATO-led international coalition in response to the September 11 attacks. Initially sent to Helmand in 2006 to provide security for reconstruction projects, the British troops soon found themselves involved in combat operations.
The withdrawal of the last UK forces and their NATO allies from Afghanistan occurred in 2021, marking the end of a nearly two-decade campaign.
This independent inquiry aims to shed light on the alleged civilian killings by British special forces during their operations in Afghanistan. The families of the victims are hopeful that the truth will be uncovered, and those responsible for any wrongdoing will be held accountable. The inquiry will determine whether there was a cover-up or a failure to properly investigate the allegations. As the investigation progresses, it remains to be seen what new information will come to light and what actions may be taken to address these serious allegations.
