British sniper ‘deadlier than the plague’

Taliban kills said to be confirmed at 173

A Royal Marine with 173 confirmed kills of Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan is the deadliest sniper in the world, it has been claimed.

If correct, the unnamed marine’s toll of kills would surpass that of Chris Kyle, the U.S. Navy Seal whose exploits are portrayed in the Oscar-nominated film American Sniper.

The corporal, who is still serving, made the majority of his kills during a single six-month tour of Helmand province eight years ago. His actual number of kills could be far higher, sources told The Sun newspaper. The identity of the sniper, a married father who grew up in southern England, is a closely guarded secret for fear he will become a target for terrorists.

One source told the paper: “Only people inside the community know about his incredible contribution, but young recruits are in awe of him. He is one of a unique band of marksmen who have done extraordinary things. He’s not the sort of man to brag. He’s very professional and humble, but with a gun in his hands this bloke is deadlier than the plague.”

He made most of his kills during the winter of 2006-07, and at one point reportedly shot 90 Taliban fighters in a single day.

The source said: “He will never talk about it unless he is challenged directly, then he is never boastful of what has happened, but he is not ashamed either.

“Every shot was judged and balanced, not indiscriminate. He always saw the men between the crosshairs as humans, not as targets. He is not interested in scores or kill counts. He took no satisfaction in the job he had to do.

“Like all snipers he had to be in a place where his concentration was absolute. Nothing mattered, not the cold, not the discomfort of the ground, just the job.”

British Forces deployed snipers widely throughout the Helmand campaign. The world record for the longest-range kill is held by a British soldier at more than 2.4 kilometres.

Kyle, nicknamed the Devil of Ramadi, was credited with 160 kills during four tours of Iraq. His record and that of the British corporal still do not match those of the most prolific marksmen of the Second World War. Several Soviet snipers were credited with killing more than 400 German soldiers each.

Simo Hayha, a Finnish soldier nicknamed White Death, was credited with 505 sniper kills during the Winter War of 1939 to 1940.