SAS troops face war crimes inquiry over ‘Taliban executions’

The SAS is facing a war crimes probe over claims its troops executed Taliban suspects while in custody.

Soldiers revealed they were aware of the practice which was allegedly ‘covered up’ by commanders.

Last night there were growing concerns the shoot-to-kill tactics could no longer be denied, which remains the Ministry of Defence’s official position.

One SAS soldier said the truth will ‘rock everything’. Another admitted illegal killings were ‘part of our job’.

A BBC documentary due to be broadcast this evening will also claim the SAS repeatedly shot dead detainees and unarmed men in suspicious circumstances. Panorama will further claim a former SAS commander, who later became a general, failed to disclose crucial evidence to a murder inquiry.

An ongoing court case is also forcing defence officials to release previously unseen documents.

SAS members said they were effectively crippled by the Afghan legal system. Ordinarily in 2010-2011 they were required to observe an Afghan brandishing a weapon before they could open fire.

One soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained: ‘ Illegal killings were part of our job and yes, the tactics were gruesome. But arresting them [Taliban suspects] was pretty pointless because they would only be held for a few days before being released. So for me, the end justified the means.’

But other troops said they struggle to justify deliberate shootings of unnamed Afghans, which was routinely followed by the placing of a weapon next to their corpse.

The ‘drop weapons’ tactic was used to suggest these individuals posed a threat at the time of their death.

Another said: ‘It came down to one or two loose cannons [in the unit].’

SAS sources also suggested residual guilt over these practices is causing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and alcoholism among those who took part.

In March, a high court judge censured the Ministry of Defence for its repeated delays in disclosing documents.

Mr Justice Swift blasted government officials for disrespecting timetables and suggested that the MOD had a ‘devil may care’ attitude to cooperating with the legal system.

Last night the Ministry of Defence said it was open to considering ‘any new evidence’ without obstruction despite officials insisting previous independent investigations into allegations had found ‘ insufficient evidence to prosecute’.