UK special forces troops face possible Syria war crimes charges

Nine members of UK special forces could face prosecution over alleged war crimes linked to at least two separate incidents in Syria, according to Ministry of Defence (MoD) data seen by the BBC.

The data, which was originally obtained via a Freedom of Information request by The Times newspaper, shows that two cases are being reviewed by the Service Prosecuting Authority (Spa), the military equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service.

One case involves one individual, while another involves eight individuals.

The MoD did not disclose details of the cases, or whether they involved singular or multiple incidents.

UK Special Forces have been deployed on operations against Islamic State (IS) in Syria during the past decade – but the MoD does not comment on operations or the whereabouts of special forces troops.

An MoD spokesperson said: “Our UK personnel are respected worldwide for the highest standards and action will be taken against anyone that fails to meet these standards, including dismissal from service, where appropriate.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further on ongoing investigations.”

In March 2024, it emerged that five serving SAS soldiers were under investigation over an incident involving allegations of potential war crimes in Syria more than two years ago.

According to the Daily Mail, the incident related to an operation involving the killing of a suspected jihadist, whose body was found near to a primed bomb vest – but he was not wearing the vest when killed.

The SAS soldiers involved are alleged by superiors to have used excessive force and should have arrested the man instead of killing him, the Mail reported. The soldiers are said to have claimed he posed a threat and intended to carry out a suicide attack.

It is unclear if this earlier-reported case is the same as the one involving eight individuals.

In addition to the cases in Syria, the MoD data reveals that the Spa is also considering a case in relation to a special forces individual in Afghanistan. Again, details were not provided of this case.

A public inquiry is being held into the activities of the SAS during their time in Afghanistan.

The Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan – launched in the wake of reporting by the BBC and other media outlets – is investigating whether UK Special Forces killed civilians and unarmed people on night raids in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.