Ex-UK Special Forces expose shocking claims of war crimes in Afghanistan: BBC Panorama
Former UK Special Forces veterans have revealed disturbing accounts of war crimes in Afghanistan, including executions and unlawful killings.
Former members of the United Kingdom’s elite Special Forces have come forward publicly for the first time, alleging war crimes committed by fellow soldiers during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The BBC Panorama investigation presents chilling eyewitness testimonies that detail extrajudicial killings, including the execution of unarmed civilians and detainees.
In a report published on May 12, 2025, BBC Panorama stated that more than 30 former UK Special Forces members have described a “lawless” culture where unlawful killings were normalized and even encouraged during covert missions, especially by squadrons of the SAS and SBS.
One veteran recounted the cold-blooded killing of a young boy in Afghanistan. “They handcuffed a young boy and shot him,” he told Panorama. “He was clearly a child, not even close to fighting age.” This, he claimed, became routine — suspects were detained, restrained, and then killed, with weapons later planted to fabricate a justification.
The allegations span more than a decade of operations, exceeding the current three-year timeframe being investigated by the official public inquiry. Crucially, the Royal Navy’s SBS — previously not implicated — now faces accusations of executing wounded and unarmed individuals.
The testimonies describe how some troops exhibited a “mob mentality.” One SBS veteran said the quietest men would suddenly turn “psychopathic” in the field, becoming “intoxicated” by killing. “They felt untouchable,” he stated. “There were lots of psychotic murderers.”
According to the report, SAS and SBS teams often entered buildings at night and shot every man found sleeping, sometimes without attempting identification. One veteran claimed, “It’s not justified, killing people in their sleep. That’s murder.”
Operations would frequently end with bodies of detainees — some still alive but wounded — being executed. A medic who was treating a shot detainee described another soldier coming up and shooting the man in the head. “These were not mercy killings. It’s murder,” the SBS witness said.
The BBC investigation also revealed that troops were instructed using cryptic phrases such as “he’s not coming back with us” or “make sure he doesn’t come off target” — thinly veiled orders to execute detainees rather than bring them into custody.
Supporting years of BBC reporting, the testimonies show how some SAS members kept kill counts, even competing with each other. One operator reportedly tried to “get a kill on every operation,” slitting a wounded man’s throat to “blood his knife” in one infamous case.
To conceal these actions, drop weapons — including fake grenades and AK-47s — were planted by the bodies, while fabricated mission reports were used to avoid triggering military police investigations. “The reports were fiction,” one operator admitted.
Former Afghan officials, including President Hamid Karzai and his national security adviser, repeatedly warned then-Prime Minister David Cameron of UK Special Forces killing civilians. General Douglas Lute, former US ambassador to NATO, confirmed these concerns were raised at high levels.
While Lord Cameron has denied knowledge of specific incidents involving UK forces, legal experts and former prosecutors have called for the inquiry to investigate what the government knew and when. The Ministry of Defence has pledged support for the inquiry, urging all veterans with information to come forward.
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