SAS soldier admits illegal killings . . . but says targets were Taliban chiefs

AN SAS soldier has admit- ted that unarmed Afghans were routinely killed during the 13-year war but only after high-level intelligence confirmed they were Taliban commanders.

He also said claims the elite troops had falsified reports to make it appear coalition Afghan troops had shot Taliban fighters instead of them were true – but they were ordered to exaggerate the involvement of the Afghan National Army for political reasons.

The unnamed soldier said the Ministry of Defence wanted to give the false impression that the Afghans were improving militarily and could survive without UK help.

The soldier took part in hundreds of top-secret operations in Afghanistan, some of which are currently under investigation as part of a probe named Operation Northmoor.

Special forces troops were embroiled in a row last week over claims they executed unarmed civilians in cold blood and then planted guns to make the victims appear to be insur- gents. Yesterday the unnamed soldier admitted illegal killings were an ‘unwritten rule of our job’ but strongly defended the regiment’s actions.

He said the Afghans were only killed when high-level intelligence had revealed them to be members of the Taliban.

He said the SAS’s D and G squadrons killed more than 600 enemy fighters in a single year.

The MoD said: ‘The Royal Military Police have found no evidence of criminal behaviour by the Armed Forces in Afghanistan.’