UK Ex-Special Forces Chiefs Accused of Hiding Evidence of SAS War Crimes in Afghanistan
A former senior UK special forces officer has accused two ex-directors of Special Forces of suppressing evidence of alleged war crimes committed by SAS units during operations in Afghanistan. The allegations, previously heard in closed sessions, were made public on Monday through the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan.
The officer, identified only as N1466, is the highest-ranking former special forces figure to claim there was a cover-up of unlawful killings during night raids carried out by SAS troops. The inquiry is examining allegations that detainees and unarmed civilians—including children—were deliberately killed during operations between 2010 and 2013.
Because of reporting restrictions, the former directors of UK Special Forces cannot be named.
N1466 told the inquiry he presented “explosive” evidence of “criminal behaviour” to the director of special forces in 2011 after operational reports showed unusually high numbers of Afghan men killed, with few weapons recovered. In one operation, nine men were killed but only three weapons were found.
He said a second director, who took over in 2012, also knew of the troubling reports but failed to act. “It was not just one director that has known about this,” he said, alleging that senior leadership was “very much suppressing” the concerns instead of reporting them to the Royal Military Police (RMP), as required by law.
Former director of service prosecutions Bruce Houlder KC affirmed that commanders had a clear legal duty to report suspected crimes, “including murder”.
The officer referenced whistleblower accounts alleging that some SAS operatives boasted about killing all “fighting-age” males during raids, regardless of whether they posed a threat. “I will be clear, we are talking about war crimes,” he said.
N1466 said he commissioned an internal review in 2011 which revealed deeply troubling findings. Instead of escalating the matter to military police, he claimed the director ordered a limited “fake exercise” aimed at avoiding scrutiny. “The director had made a conscious decision that he is going to suppress this, cover it up,” he testified.
He eventually reported the allegations directly to the RMP in 2015—something he described as “a matter of great regret” for not doing sooner.
Among the cases he cited was a 2012 raid in which two parents were shot dead in bed next to their toddlers. He said such killings might have been prevented if earlier concerns had been addressed.
The director who served in 2012 told the BBC he rejected the allegations and would respond formally to the inquiry, while the 2011 director declined to comment.
Tessa Gregory, a lawyer representing Afghan families, said her clients were “grateful to this officer for giving such candid testimony” but worried that many soldiers were refusing to testify.
The inquiry emphasized that it is investigating the deliberate execution of Afghan males, rather than decisions made during intense combat.
