UK Special Forces Chiefs Face Inquiry over Alleged Cover-Up of Afghanistan War Crimes
LONDON, UK / KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — December 2, 2025
UK Special Forces Chiefs Face Inquiry: Whistleblower Alleges Cover-Up of Afghanistan War Crimes, Calling Killings an “Open Secret”
A senior former British military officer today delivered explosive testimony to the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, alleging that successive UK Special Forces Chiefs were complicit in a sweeping cover-up of alleged Afghanistan war crimes committed by members of the elite Special Air Service (SAS).
The testimony, released in heavily redacted transcripts today in London, UK, detailed a pattern of suspicious extrajudicial killings of detainees and unarmed civilians, including children, during night raids in Helmand Province between 2010 and 2013.
The whistleblower—referred to by the inquiry as N1466—said he believed a specific SAS sub-unit had engaged in “war crimes” and that the issue was an “open secret” that senior commanders actively suppressed, choosing internal reviews over necessary criminal investigations.
The allegations are among the most serious ever leveled against the command structure of the British Armed Forces.
N1466, a former Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations at the UK Special Forces (UKSF) headquarters, told the inquiry, led by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, that he raised alarm bells as early as 2011.
His concerns were sparked by the startling statistics emerging from ‘deliberate detention operations’ (DDOs):
an impossibly high ratio of Afghans killed in action compared to the number of weapons recovered, a figure he deemed “not credible.”
He detailed incident reports where detainees, supposedly under control, were shot dead after allegedly trying to grab a hidden weapon—a narrative that repeated itself so often it strained credulity among senior staff.
The officer warned that this systemic failure to report potential criminal behaviour risked allowing the elite regiment to “go down the sewer.”
Headline Points
Cover-Up Allegations:
A high-ranking former UK Special Forces officer (N1466) accused two former Directors of Special Forces (DSF) and others in the chain of command of knowingly suppressing evidence of unlawful killings.
War Crimes” Committed:
The whistleblower explicitly stated he believed British troops committed “war crimes,” including the execution of detainees, and raised concerns that the leadership actively avoided reporting this to the Royal Military Police (RMP).
Suspicious Ratios:
The officer cited alarming data showing a pattern of operations with high numbers of enemies killed but very few weapons recovered, including one raid where nine men were killed and only three weapons reported.
Civilian Victims:
Evidence was presented to the inquiry, including video testimony from Afghan families, alleging that civilians, including children, were murdered by SAS units during the night raids.
Intentional Suppression:
N1466 alleged that one former DSF made a “conscious decision” to “suppress this, cover this up and do a little fake exercise” (a review of tactics) to avoid external scrutiny.
The “Wafer-Thin” Line and Statistical Anomalies
The evidence from N1466—the most senior former special forces figure to publicly allege a cover-up—painted a portrait of an organisation where the line between lawful use of force and murder had become “wafer-thin.”
He told the inquiry that reports often described detainees being taken back into rooms, only to be killed moments later on the false premise of trying to recover a weapon.
A key piece of evidence was the detailed analysis of the kill-to-weapon ratios. N1466 recalled being “deeply troubled” by a 9:3 (bodies-to-weapons) ratio in one operation’s summary.
He stated this pattern “did not read like normal combat.”
The senior officer claimed he raised these statistical concerns directly with the then-Director of Special Forces (DSF) in early 2011, expecting an immediate investigation.
Instead, he alleges, the DSF opted for an internal review of the SAS’s “Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures” (TTPs) as a means of controlling the narrative and limiting the “spread of the damage outside the headquarters.”
The whistleblower concluded that this was a deliberate charade intended to avoid external scrutiny by the RMP, an action he now deeply regrets not reporting himself at the time.
Impact on Afghanistan and Military Integrity
For the families in Afghanistan who have pursued justice for years, the testimony released today offers a measure of validation.
Afghan families have consistently accused SAS units of conducting a “campaign of murder” against civilians during a period that saw dozens of summary killings.
The inquiry, which was only launched in 2023 following legal challenges by Afghan families and high-profile media reporting, is seeking to determine not only if the unlawful killings occurred, but whether they were concealed by the military chain of command.
N1466 emphasized the devastating moral impact of the alleged cover-up, stating that the actions of a few individuals had become “a stain against their sacrifice and their service” that jeopardized the entire campaign.
He stated he “lost all faith” that the chain of command was willing to support a transparent investigation.
The Official Response from London-UK
London-UK, CJ Global Newspaper:
This day of testimony is shaking the British military establishment to its core, generating intense public debate in London, UK. The Ministry of Defence (MoD), which operates from its Whitehall headquarters, issued a concise statement following the release of the transcripts.
“The Government is fully committed to supporting the independent inquiry relating to Afghanistan as it continues its work,” an MoD spokesperson said.
“We remain committed to providing the support that our special forces deserve, whilst maintaining the transparency and accountability that the British people rightly expect from their armed forces.
It is appropriate that we await the outcome of the inquiry’s work before commenting further.”
The political pressure on the Secretary of State for Defence, and the Prime Minister, is immense.
The inquiry’s findings will determine whether the British government must issue an unprecedented apology and whether high-ranking, currently serving or retired military personnel face potential criminal prosecution.
The focus in London is now squarely on the historical integrity of the nation’s most secretive and respected fighting force, a force whose reputation now hangs in the balance of a public judicial inquiry.
