Inquiry into alleged unlawful Afghan killings launches with call for evidence

The seat of an enquiry into allegations of unlawful killings by UK equipped forces successful Afghanistan has said the enquiry is captious to "restoring the estimation of the subject and the country".

Lord Justice Haddon-Cave called the allegations "extremely serious".

The enquiry volition look into nighttime raids carried retired by UK peculiar forces betwixt mid-2010 and mid-2013.

It volition analyse some allegations of killings and of consequent cover-ups.

Launching the enquiry connected Wednesday, Lord Justice Haddon-Cave called for anyone with applicable accusation to travel forward.

"It is intelligibly important that anyone who has breached the instrumentality is referred to the applicable authorities for investigation, and equally, those who person done thing incorrect should rightly person the unreality of suspicion lifted from them," helium said.

The enquiry volition look specifically astatine nighttime raids known arsenic Deliberate Detention Operations (DDOs), which were carried retired by Special Forces units.

Lord Justice Haddon-Cave said galore of the inquiry's hearings would person to beryllium held successful backstage due to the fact that of the "highly sensitive" quality of the testimony.

The enquiry comes aft what the justice described arsenic "significant reporting" by the BBC, past year, which revealed that 1 British SAS squadron had killed astatine slightest 54 Afghans successful suspicious circumstances during 1 six-month tour.

The enquiry besides follows ineligible challenges brought by 2 families of radical killed by British forces successful DDOs.

Abdul Aziz Uzbakzai, an Afghan husbandman whose lad and daughter-in-law were killed by British peculiar forces during a nighttime raid successful 2012 and whose grandsons Imran and Bilal were gravely wounded successful the operation, told the BBC the enquiry "cannot bring backmost my lad and daughter-in-law, nor tin it bring Imran and Bilal's parents backmost to them".

"But aft 11 agelong years, I inactive privation the British soldiers and different officials to travel guardant and uncover the truth," Mr Uzbakzai said.

"We are inactive unaware of wherefore we were targeted, and we agelong to cognize why."

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Tessa Gregory, a spouse astatine instrumentality steadfast Leigh Day, which has represented immoderate of the household members of those killed connected DDOs, said the firm's clients welcomed the motorboat of the inquiry.

"Throughout years of secrecy and cover-ups our clients person fought tirelessly for justness for their loved ones' deaths and they anticipation that a agleam airy volition present beryllium shone connected the practices and bid of UK peculiar forces successful Afghanistan," Ms Gregory said.

In 2014, the Royal Military Police launched Operation Northmoor, an probe into the allegations of unlawful killings, but it was formally closed successful 2019 with nary charges.

The MoD said astatine the clip that nary grounds of criminality had been found, contempt Operation Northmoor having much than 600 alleged offences successful its scope.

Royal Military Police investigators told the BBC past twelvemonth their efforts to stitchery grounds during Operation Northmoor had been obstructed by the British military, and they disputed the MoD's connection that nary grounds of criminality had been found.

As good arsenic the underlying allegations of unlawful killings, the enquiry volition analyse whether the actions of the Ministry of Defence and investigations by the Royal Military Police were adequate.

The Ministry of Defence told the BBC connected Wednesday it was besides encouraging anyone with accusation to travel guardant to the inquiry, adding that "witness enactment ... volition beryllium provided to promote and facilitate this participation".