Inquiry Reveals Flaws in UK Military Investigation of Alleged Afghanistan War Crimes

A public inquiry highlights delays, resource issues, and premature closure of a probe into alleged SAS killings of Afghan civilians.

The Royal Military Police's Operation Northmoor, launched in 2014, was criticized for being slow, under-resourced, and inadequately staffed to investigate alleged war crimes by UK Special Forces in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013.
Expert witness Alan Pughsley testified that the three-year delay in starting the investigation missed critical opportunities to gather contemporaneous evidence and identify witnesses or suspects.
The inquiry heard that investigators faced challenges such as lack of access to crime scenes, delayed interviews with SAS personnel, and deleted digital evidence, which undermined the investigation's effectiveness.
Concerns were raised about the appointment of an inexperienced senior investigating officer and insufficient staffing levels, with requests for additional resources going unfulfilled for years.
The decision to close Operation Northmoor in 2019 was deemed premature, leaving key lines of inquiry, including witness testimony and forensic evidence, unresolved.