UK Special Forces Veterans Reveal War Crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan

Former SAS and SBS members describe execution of detainees, children, and wounded

Former members of the UK’s elite Special Forces have publicly alleged that war crimes were committed by their colleagues during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In detailed eyewitness accounts, veterans from the SAS and SBS described a disturbing pattern of unlawful killings, including the execution of unarmed detainees—some of them children—and the falsification of reports to cover up these acts.

One former SAS soldier recounted the killing of a handcuffed young boy. “He was clearly a child, not even close to fighting age,” he said. Others described a culture in which the killing of restrained or sleeping individuals became routine.

“They’d handcuff someone, shoot them, cut off the restraints, and plant a weapon to make it look justified,” one veteran said.

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SBS also implicated; ‘mob mentality’ and ‘psychopathic’ behavior reported

For the first time, veterans also implicated the SBS, the Royal Navy’s Special Forces regiment, in allegations of extrajudicial killings. One veteran said some SBS troops displayed a “mob mentality” and described their actions on missions as “barbaric” and “lawless.”

“There were lots of psychotic murderers,” said one former operator. “Killing became an addictive thing to do.”

Veterans revealed that wounded detainees were executed, sometimes while receiving medical attention. One account described a soldier walking up to a breathing detainee and shooting him in the head at close range.

“These weren’t mercy killings,” the witness added. “This was murder.”

Fake evidence and manipulated reports allegedly used to avoid scrutiny

According to the veterans, fabricated reports were routinely submitted to avoid investigations. Troops allegedly planted “drop weapons” like fake grenades or concealed AK-47 rifles to stage crime scenes, giving the illusion that the dead were armed.

“We understood how to write up serious incident reports so they wouldn’t trigger a military police referral,” one veteran said. “It was built into the system.”

An intelligence officer working with the SBS said reports often described firefights, while photographs showed clean headshots—evidence that contradicted the official narrative.

Former director of service prosecutions Bruce Houlder said he hoped the inquiry would examine what Mr Cameron knew

Cameron, Afghan leaders repeatedly warned about civilian deaths

Multiple sources claimed that former UK Prime Minister David Cameron was warned repeatedly by Afghan President Hamid Karzai about civilian killings during British operations. Karzai’s former national security adviser confirmed that concerns over night raids and casualties were consistently raised during meetings.

While a spokesperson for Lord Cameron said no specific incidents were mentioned, critics argue that the extent of the warnings could not have gone unnoticed. A former US ambassador to NATO stated it would have been “extraordinarily unusual” for such claims to be unknown to UK military leadership.

Inquiry underway; UK government yet to respond in detail

The UK Ministry of Defence has said it will not comment on matters under public inquiry but urged any veterans with relevant knowledge to come forward. The inquiry, which is currently reviewing a three-year period of operations, may now face pressure to widen its scope based on the new testimony.

Former Director of Service Prosecutions Bruce Houlder KC expressed hope that the inquiry would explore what senior political and military leaders—including Lord Cameron—knew about the alleged violations.

The UK remains one of the few Western countries without parliamentary oversight of its Special Forces, with strategic responsibility falling directly on the prime minister, defence secretary, and senior military command.