A senior UK special forces officer has told a public inquiry that a unit operating in Afghanistan had a 'deliberate policy' to kill fighting-aged males, even when they posed no immediate threat. The officer, codenamed N1466, further alleged that the director of UK special forces made a 'conscious decision' to cover up the potential war crimes.
Explosive Allegations and Internal Warnings
The inquiry was presented with a damning internal note dated 7 April 2011. In this document, N1466, who served as assistant chief of staff for operations at UKSF headquarters, detailed his concerns after speaking with the commanding officer of a unit referred to as UKSF1.
The commanding officer reportedly believed there was a deliberate policy among his sub-unit to 'engage and kill fighting-aged males on target even when they did not pose a threat'. This belief was based on reports from his own men, who had heard such suggestions directly from trained members of UKSF1.
N1466 warned the director of UK special forces, known to the inquiry as N1802, that even as a rumour, this was 'distasteful' and 'unacceptable' to the UKSF ethos, and could prove 'explosive'. He stated that if there was any truth to it, it would represent 'indefensible ethical and legal behaviour' and merited a deeper investigation.
A 'Conscious Decision' to Cover Up
According to N1466's testimony, Director N1802 chose not to investigate the potential murders. Instead, he allegedly made a 'conscious decision' to cover them up. The senior officer accused N1802 of controlling the flow of information to keep the allegations 'low profile'.
N1466's suspicions were further aroused by data from Deliberate Detention Operations (DDOs). He told the inquiry that the ratio of weapons found to enemies killed 'didn't seem credible'.
In response to the initial concerns, N1802 initiated a review of the unit's tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) in April 2011. However, N1466 dismissed this as a 'charade' and a 'warning shot across the bows' rather than a genuine attempt to uncover the truth. He stated, 'I was sure at the time and I remain sure that N1802 knew what was happening on the ground.'
Disturbing Incidents and a Plea for Integrity
Among the harrowing details released was an account of an incident where UKSF1 members cleared a compound. The inquiry document read: 'They found a room where people were hiding under a mosquito net. They did not reveal themselves, so the UKSF1 shot at the net until there was no movement. When the net was uncovered it was women and children.' The document alleged the incident was covered up and the soldier involved was given an award to legitimise the action.
N1466 also referenced the alleged 2012 shooting of two toddlers, Imran and Bilal, while they slept in their beds. He emotionally questioned how such actions aligned with the values of the special forces, stating, 'It's not special, it's not elite, it's not what we stand for.'
He concluded his remarks by warning that the culture within the unit had become distorted, where 'the amount of kills and the amount of trigger time have become the metric by which people judge themselves.' He urged for accountability, asserting that loyalty does not mean standing by while an organisation 'goes down a sewer'.
The inquiry continues to examine these grave allegations, which have been plagued by issues of secrecy and the deletion of potential evidence. Previous investigations, such as the £10m Operation Northmoor and the Royal Military Police's Operation Cestro, resulted in no prosecutions.
