More than 30 former members of the UK’s Special Forces have come forward with eyewitness accounts of alleged war crimes committed during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the execution of civilians, detainees, and even children, reports Anadolu Agency.
Speaking to the BBC’s Panorama in a report aired on May 12, the veterans described how members from the Special Air Service and Special Boat Service would routinely kill unarmed individuals often while handcuffed or asleep.
“They handcuffed a young boy and shot him,” one former SAS soldier, who served in Afghanistan, recalled. “He was clearly a child, not even close to fighting age.”
Another veteran said that killing detainees “became routine.” He added: “They’d search someone, handcuff them, then shoot them,” and later cut off the handcuffs and “plant a pistol” on the body.
The allegations span more than a decade, far longer than the current three-year period under investigation by a public inquiry.
For the first time, the Royal Navy’s SBS is also accused of executing unarmed and wounded people.A former SBS soldier described the actions of some troops as “barbaric”. “I saw the quietest guys switch, show serious psychopathic traits. They were lawless. They felt untouchable.”The soldiers claim that civilians and suspects were often killed even when there was no threat.
Post-operation reports were often falsified with help from senior officers.