UK Begins Probe into Claims of Unlawful Killings by its Troops in Afghanistan
The investigation into claims of unlawful killing by UK soldiers is about to get underway.
As the investigation begins on Wednesday, Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, the chair of the inquiry, is anticipated to request documentation of criminal activities in the war-torn country between 2010 and 2013.
During his opening remarks, Cave is anticipated to call anyone with pertinent information to come forward.
During a six-month deployment to the southern Afghan province of Helmand from November 2010 to May 2011, one SAS unit shot and killed 54 civilians in suspicious circumstances, according to the BBC’s Panorama program investigation.
Top officers, including General Mark Carleton-Smith, the then-head of the UK Special Forces, were aware of SAS concerns about the missions but neglected to bring them to the attention of military police, the investigation claimed, Aljazeera reported.
The announcement was earlier praised by the relatives of eight persons, including three young boys, allegedly killed by UK Special Forces in Afghanistan in two different events in 2011 and 2012. The killings occurred during night operations.
“My family has waited ten years to find out why this happened,” a member of the Noorzai family said in a statement released via their London-based law firm.
“We are happy that finally, after so many years, someone will investigate this thoroughly.
“We live in the hope that those responsible will one day be held accountable.”
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