UK: 5 SAS soldiers investigated over alleged war crimes in Syria

Five Special Air Services (SAS) soldiers have reportedly been arrested by British military police on suspicion of alleged war crimes committed in Syria.

Although BBC News claims that the men were not arrested, it says they are under investigation by the Defence Serious Crimes Unit after being accused of shooting dead a suspected militant two years ago.  The serving soldiers are thought to face charges of murder, brought by the Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) which is military equivalent of the civilian Crown Prosecution Service.

According to the Daily Mail, superiors believe the troops used excessive force and should have arrested the man. However, the soldiers say he posed an imminent threat and intended to carry out a suicide attack. A prime bomb vest was found nearby.

SAS troops were deployed to the country over the last decade in support of the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces amid the fight against Daesh.

READ: British Special Forces block former Afghan counterparts from relocating to UK, documents reveal

The Ministry of Defence said it would not comment directly on the probe but defence sources confirm reports of the arrests.

An MoD spokesperson said: “We hold our personnel to the highest standards and any allegations of wrongdoing are taken seriously. Where appropriate, any criminal allegations are referred to the service police for investigation.”

It is unlikely that the arrests will result in a prosecution, and war crimes convictions of British soldiers are considered a rarity. Should they face a murder trial, the accused would probably remain anonymous and provide testimony from behind screens.

For now, and pending a charging decision by the SPA, the quintet are permitted to remain in service with the Herefordshire-based regiment, the Mail says.

Separately, a public inquiry is being held into the activities of the SAS during their time in Afghanistan. The Independent Inquiry is investigating whether British Special Forces killed civilians and unarmed people on night raids in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013. It is believed that 80 Afghans were summarily killed by three different SAS units.