Over 30 Ex-Soldiers Accuse British Special Forces of Systematic Killings During Iraq and Afghanistan Operations

Over 30 former members of the UK’s elite Special Forces have presented accounts detailing grave allegations of war crimes committed during missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. These testimonies, shared in a BBC Panorama report, suggest that operatives from the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) routinely executed unarmed civilians, detainees, and even children, often while the victims were restrained or asleep. One ex-SAS soldier recounted the execution of a handcuffed boy who was a child and posed no threat. Several veterans claim that the deliberate killing of detainees became habitual, with weapons allegedly planted on bodies post-mortem to stage justification. The span of these allegations extends far beyond the three years currently under scrutiny by a public inquiry.

For the first time, members of the SBS stand accused of carrying out unlawful executions of both unarmed and wounded individuals. One former SBS soldier described a breakdown in discipline and morality, alleging that even the most unassuming troops would exhibit extreme and violent behaviour. According to multiple sources, these killings often occurred without provocation or threat. In some instances, missions were reportedly undertaken to execute individuals who had appeared on target lists numerous times. Eyewitnesses also described how entire groups of men would be killed upon entry, regardless of their actions. The use of “drop weapons”—such as fake grenades or AK-47s—to fabricate combat scenarios and conceal unlawful killings was also alleged. Reports following such operations were said to be manipulated, often with the assistance of senior officers, to avoid triggering investigations by military police.

One veteran recalled an incident in Iraq where a man, who was unarmed and posed no threat, was summarily executed. He described the act as “disgraceful” and condemned the lack of professionalism. The problem, he said, began well before British Special Forces shifted their focus to Afghanistan, and he believes that high-ranking officers were fully aware of these practices. BBC Panorama also reported that former Prime Minister David Cameron was repeatedly warned by Afghan President Hamid Karzai about civilian casualties during British-led night raids. Former NATO Ambassador General Douglas Lute confirmed Karzai’s persistent concerns. In response, a spokesperson for Cameron stated the complaints were generalised towards NATO forces, not the UK specifically, and denied any suggestion of a cover-up. The Ministry of Defence affirmed its support for the public inquiry and urged anyone with relevant information to come forward, while declining to comment on specific allegations under investigation. Former military prosecutor Bruce Houlder KC stressed the importance of uncovering how high up the knowledge of these alleged crimes extended: “You need to know how far the rot went up.”