Gun pics put ‘idiot’ troops in Isis’ sights
TROOPS who post pictures on social media of themselves posing with weapons could be targeted by terrorists.
Dozens of selfies of soldiers toting firearms have appeared on Instagram and Snapchat in recent weeks.
Now troops are being warned that they could be breaching military law, leaving themselves open to prosecution.
Army top brass also fear that recruits who reveal their identities online could be lured into traps by jihadis.
There have been several attempted kidnappings of servicemen in recent years. And members of Islamic State are being urged to attack soldiers.
In the last 12 months squaddies have been warned not to travel in uniform after at least two kidnapping plots. And Army cadets were told to close down Facebook accounts after being deluged with friend requests from Russia and Asia.
Senior officers are also said to be furious with the growing trend of troops taking “idiotic” pictures of themselves posing with weapons.
One senior source told the Daily Star Sunday commanding officers would have no hesitation in punishing soldiers who were pictured acting unprofessionally.
Images obtained by this newspaper appear to show soldiers breaching safety rules by posing with weapons.
In one a bare-chested soldier shows off two semi-automatic pistols. A second shows a soldier on a range holding a pistol beneath his chin, while a third shows a squaddie posing with an AK-47 assault rifle. One officer said: “Some of the pictures are really idiotic. Soldiers are taught from day one in basic training that you never play around with weapons, even if they are unloaded.”
They added: “Misuse of weapons is a chargeable offence. The picture of the soldier holding a pistol underneath his chin is unbelievably stupid.”
An Army spokesman said: “The safe handling of weapons is of paramount importance. Where evidence of malpractice is brought to our attention, it will be investigated thoroughly.”