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Scottish Sun
12-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
SAS soldier ‘slit wounded Afghan prisoner's throat' in ‘pattern of killings' claims BBC probe
An SAS soldier – described as a psychopath – told comrades not to shoot him again because he wanted to 'finish him off' with a knife Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN SAS soldier slit an Afghan prisoner's throat, a BBC investigation claimed. It was part of a pattern of killings that included shooting a handcuffed child and fighters in their beds, Panorama has alleged. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up Veterans claimed that killing 'became routine' in southern Afghanistan. A judge-led inquiry is examining claims the SAS killed over 50 prisoners in night raids in Afghanistan. In one incident an Afghan man had been wounded. An SAS soldier – described as a psychopath – told comrades not to shoot him again because he wanted to 'finish him off' with a knife. A former comrade said: 'The officer shot someone and he told the officer not to shoot him again because he wanted to go and finish the wounded guy off with his knife. 'He wanted to blood his knife.' Another soldier claimed troops 'handcuffed a young boy and shot him'. He added: 'He was clearly a child, not even close to fighting age.' The SAS had orders to destroy the Taliban's bomb-making network as IEDs were killing and maiming British soldiers almost every day in deadly Helmand Province. The MoD it was 'fully committed' to supporting the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan. It added: 'It is not appropriate for the MOD to comment on allegations which may be within the scope of the Statutory Inquiry, or to speculate on outcomes. 'Anyone can provide evidence to the Inquiry, no matter where in the world they are. 'If any potential evidence is – or has been – uncovered by BBC Panorama, we would urge them to get in touch with the Inquiry team and the Police.'
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
SAS soldier ‘slit wounded Afghan prisoner's throat' in ‘pattern of killings' claims BBC probe
AN SAS soldier slit an Afghan prisoner's throat, a BBC investigation claimed. It was part of a pattern of killings that included shooting a handcuffed child and fighters in their beds, Panorama has alleged. Veterans claimed that killing 'became routine' in southern Afghanistan. A judge-led inquiry is examining claims the SAS killed over 50 prisoners in night raids in Afghanistan. In one incident an Afghan man had been wounded. An SAS soldier – described as a psychopath – told comrades not to shoot him again because he wanted to 'finish him off' with a knife. READ MORE ON THE SAS A former comrade said: 'The officer shot someone and he told the officer not to shoot him again because he wanted to go and finish the wounded guy off with his knife. 'He wanted to blood his knife.' Another soldier claimed troops 'handcuffed a young boy and shot him'. He added: 'He was clearly a child, not even close to fighting age.' Most read in The Sun The SAS had orders to destroy the Taliban's bomb-making network as IEDs were killing and maiming British soldiers almost every day in deadly Helmand Province. The MoD it was 'fully committed' to supporting the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan. It added: 'It is not appropriate for the MOD to comment on allegations which may be within the scope of the Statutory Inquiry, or to speculate on outcomes. 'Anyone can provide evidence to the Inquiry, no matter where in the world they are. 'If any potential evidence is – or has been – uncovered by BBC Panorama, we would urge them to get in touch with the Inquiry team and the Police.' 1 An SAS soldier slit an Afghan prisoner's throat, a BBC investigation claimed (stock picture) Credit: Peter J Jordan
Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Veterans recall seeing SAS 'kill handcuffed kids' in slew of 'war crimes'
Veterans who fought with the UK Special Forces such as the SAS have accused members of their squads of horrific war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq, including the murder of children Ex-UK Special Forces fighters have accused former colleagues of committing war crimes, including executing handcuffed children and unarmed people while sleeping. Veterans have given details of several incidents which allegedly happened in Iraq and Afghanistan over more than a decade. Some are said to have involved the SAS amid accusations of detainees being handcuffed and then shot dead, while others are said to have kept count of their number of kills to compare with others. The length of time the allegations are said to have continued over is far longer than the three years currently being investigated by a public inquiry. One veteran who served with the SAS in Afghanistan told BBC Panorama: 'They handcuffed a young boy and shot him. He was clearly a child, not even close to fighting age... They'd search someone, handcuff them, then shoot them.' He added they would then remove the plastic handcuffs used to restrain people and "plant a pistol" by the body. Another veteran added: 'If a target had popped up on the list two or three times before, then we'd go in with the intention of killing them, there was no attempt to capture them," said one veteran who served with the SAS, referring to people who had been previously captured, questioned and then released. "Sometimes we'd check we'd identified the target, confirm their ID, then shoot them. Often the squadron would just go and kill all the men they found there." A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'We are fully committed to supporting the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan as its work continues. It is not appropriate for the MOD to comment on allegations which may be within the scope of the Statutory Inquiry, or to speculate on outcomes. 'Anyone can provide evidence to the Inquiry, no matter where in the world they are. If any potential evidence is – or has been – uncovered by BBC Panorama, we would urge them to get in touch with the Inquiry team and the Police.' In 2022 the MOD launched an independent inquiry to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by British Armed Forces. The inquiry is chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, a Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales and covers a period between 2010 and 2013. Then-Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "Defence has made a number of changes in recent years when dealing with serious allegations of wrongdoing against our Armed Forces. Many of these are already in operation, including the creation of the Defence Serious Crime Unit. 'While there have been several comprehensive investigations into the events in question, if there are further lessons to learn it is right that we consider those fully to ensure all allegations are handled appropriately and in equal measure to ensure our personnel are adequately protected from unnecessary reinvestigations.' Lord Justice Haddon-Cave added at the time: 'It is important to establish the truth, or otherwise, of the grave allegations which are the focus of the Terms of Reference. They touch on the fine reputation of the military and the UK. 'The public, and all those who serve in the military, are entitled to expect a fair, fearless and thorough examination of the facts and clear answers to the questions raised. I will seek to achieve this within a reasonable timescale.'
