UK special forces may face prosecution over Afghanistan killings

Members of Britain's special forces could face criminal prosecution over alleged crimes in Afghanistan.

According to the BBC, The Independent and The Telegraph, a High Court hearing in London on Monday was told that the UK Ministry of Defence found material in early 2026 indicating that personnel deployed in Afghanistan may have committed serious offences under the Armed Forces Act. Such offences can include murder, manslaughter and grievous bodily harm.

The material was referred by UK Special Forces to the Defence Serious Crime Command. However, military police are understood to have paused any criminal investigation, after an initial scoping exercise, until the independent Afghanistan inquiry has finished its work.

It is the first public acknowledgement that the inquiry's findings could lead to criminal prosecutions. The inquiry, chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, is examining allegations that British special forces unlawfully killed people during detention operations between 2010 and 2013, and that the killings were later covered up. The Telegraph reported that the allegations involve the killing of 80 or more unarmed Afghans, including children and detainees.

The inquiry was set up after years of investigation by the BBC's Panorama programme. No one has been charged.

Source: BBC, The Independent, The Telegraph, Ariana News