Former members of the British Special Forces have revealed shocking truths long kept secret, speaking to BBC Panorama about war crimes committed by their fellow soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
For the first time, they publicly disclosed what they witnessed. The ex-soldiers explained that they saw members of the elite Special Air Service (SAS) kill unarmed people in their sleep and execute prisoners in handcuffs—including children.
One who served in Afghanistan recounted: “They handcuffed a young boy and shot him. It was clear he was a child—not even close to fighting age.”
He described the killing of detainees as a routine act: “They’d detain someone, tie them up, then shoot them—and afterward cut off the plastic handcuffs and place a pistol next to the body.”
This new testimony contains allegations of war crimes that date back more than a decade—going far beyond the three-year period currently under investigation by a British judge.
For the first time, the Special Boat Service (SBS)—the Royal Navy’s elite maritime unit—has also been implicated, accused of killing wounded and unarmed individuals.
A veteran from the SBS said some soldiers had a “criminal mindset,” describing their behavior in operations as “animalistic.”
“I saw calm young men turn into something else. They displayed signs of deep mental illness. They ignored rules. They felt untouchable,” he said.
British Special Forces were deployed to Afghanistan to protect troops from Taliban fighters and IED attacks. The conflict left 457 British troops dead and thousands wounded.
When asked by the BBC for comment, the Ministry of Defence said it was “fully committed” to supporting the ongoing investigation into alleged war crimes and urged any former service members with credible information to come forward. However, it added: “It would be inappropriate to comment on allegations still under investigation.”
