The British Ministry of Defense launched an independent investigation on Thursday into alleged illegal activities by British soldiers in Afghanistan from mid-2010 to mid-2013.
Allegations about possible irregularities refer to deliberate detention operations in Afghanistan.
“The Ministry of Defense has introduced a series of measures in recent years upon receiving serious complaints against our Armed Forces for irregular actions. Many of them are already in operation, including the creation of a Serious Defense Crimes Unit,” he told the regarding the secretary of the ministry, Ben Wallace.
This summer, an investigation broadcast by the BBC revealed that a British Special Air Service (SAS) unit killed dozens of civilians under suspicious circumstances during its 6-month military operation in Afghanistan more than a decade ago.
According to documents and anonymous sources cited by the media, an SAS squad could have killed 54 unarmed people in Helmand province in 2010 and 2011, in the framework of so-called “kill or capture” missions.
The main function of these operations was to detain Taliban commanders. The BBC also reported that the military planted AK-47s at the scene to justify the killing of unarmed men.
References:
SAS unit repeatedly killed Afghan detainees, BBC finds
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62083196
