LONDON: A former senior British officer has told a public inquiry that UK special forces appeared to commit war crimes in Afghanistan by executing detainees, and despite widespread awareness in the chain of command, no action was taken.
Read More: Afghan embassy in UK shutters after Taliban cut ties
The remarks came after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) launched the inquiry in response to a BBC documentary alleging that members of the Special Air Service (SAS) had unlawfully killed 54 people during the conflict more than a decade ago.
The inquiry is reviewing several night raids conducted between mid-2010 and mid-2013, when British forces were part of a US-led coalition fighting the Taliban. Previous military police investigations into similar allegations had failed to produce sufficient evidence for prosecutions, but the new inquiry aims to determine whether credible information about extra-judicial killings existed and whether earlier probes were mishandled or deliberately suppressed.
Whistleblower reveals that SAS units in Afghanistan:
* shot dead a sleeping couple in bed, badly injuring two toddlers with them;
* killed a group of women and children under a mosquito net;
* took existing prisoners along on raids so they could be executed as though they… pic.twitter.com/TeqAeLwGF4
— Jonathan Cook (@Jonathan_K_Cook) December 1, 2025
Inquiry chair Justice Charles Haddon-Cave said the goal was to ensure that those who broke the law were held accountable, while clearing the reputations of personnel who acted properly. Testimony has already included concerns from British soldiers about a sub-unit known as UKSF1, with claims that its members routinely killed “fighting-age males” regardless of threat level.
In newly released evidence, a former senior officer identified as N1466 said he became alarmed in 2011 by the high number of detainees reported killed during UKSF1 operations. He noted that the number of “enemies killed in action” exceeded the weapons recovered, and official reports describing detainees repeatedly reaching for weapons appeared implausible.
An inquiry has been told that a senior figure at UK special forces allegedly tried to cover up concerns that SAS units were carrying out extra judicial killings in Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan Inquiry has released summaries of closed hearings in which members of special forces… pic.twitter.com/qQ1v0r9XP7
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) December 1, 2025
He told the inquiry, “We are talking about war crimes,” alleging that detainees were executed under the false pretext of resisting arrest. N1466 said he raised concerns with the Director of Special Forces, but instead of pursuing criminal investigation, only a tactical review was ordered.
Read More: BBC report reveals UK commandos killed 54 unarmed Afghans
He later reported the matter to authorities in 2015, saying he feared unlawful killings were widespread and known to many within UKSF. The inquiry continues to hear additional testimony from former officers and MoD officials.