Newly released evidence from a public inquiry into the deaths of up to 80 people during an SAS deployment in Afghanistan has revealed that Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a "muscular" complaint to NATO commanders about the number of civilians being killed by British special forces in the early 2010s. The evidence also shows that by spring 2011, Afghan partner military forces were no longer willing to work alongside the British.
Key Findings from the Inquiry
The statements are contained in redacted and summarised evidence from a special forces staff officer, known only as N1788, who reviewed tactics used in operations that repeatedly led to civilian deaths. According to the summary, President Karzai was very "muscular" in addressing the issue of British detention operations with NATO's chain of command. The evidence, first given in autumn 2024, also noted that "everyone was aware that some of the Afghan partner units were being reluctant to go on operations" with the British special forces sub-unit, known as SU1.
This reluctance became "a major issue for campaigns" across NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, emerging at the same time as US President Barack Obama increased troop numbers to counter the growing Taliban insurgency. The summary described it as "a known issue and a big deal."
Flawed Tactics and Unintended Consequences
In April 2011, N1788 was asked to review a recurring procedure where Afghan males were instructed by the SAS to return inside a family compound after a raid, typically at night. On several occasions, the men were said to have produced weapons and were promptly killed. N1788 told the inquiry there were concerns the procedure had become an "inefficient practice," with sometimes fewer weapons discovered than Afghans killed.
When asked to explain, N1788 said the tactic, designed to reduce threats to British forces and civilians, had become counterproductive. Separating adult males during raids "directly increased the propensity of kinetic [military] activity" and was "undermining the very reason it was designed for … which was to de-escalate."
Pressure to Deliver Results
Evidence from another soldier, N2252, who served as chief of staff to the UK's special forces director in 2010-2011, described high pressure to deliver results after many British soldiers were killed in 2010. "As I've said to you, we wanted to do things right. We'd all been to lots of funerals in 2009/2010, 100-plus people killed in 2010. We didn't want that to happen again," N2252 said. However, he acknowledged that the tactic of separating males during raids led to "unintended consequences."
Inquiry Progress and Allegations
Concerns about the SAS's lethal conduct in Helmand province have circulated for years, leading to the public inquiry's establishment in December 2022. Public hearings began in October 2023, covering UK special forces deployments between 2010 and 2013, but progress has been slow. Hearings involving former special forces members, except former MP Johnny Mercer, have largely been held in private, with evidence summarised and redacted to maintain secrecy.
The inquiry has also heard allegations that two Afghan adults were shot dead while sleeping next to children, presented by Richard Hermer KC, now attorney general. Another British soldier told superiors he believed the SAS had a policy to "kill all males on target whether they posed a threat or not," a practice colloquially called "flat packing."
