British soldiers allegedly dropped Afghan prisoners from forklifts “for fun”, while concerns over the killing of three farmers during a special forces raid were dismissed by a military officer, a public inquiry has heard.
The Afghanistan Inquiry is examining allegations that UK special forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, as well as claims that unlawful killings were later concealed or inadequately investigated.
Evidence provided by two whistleblowers has raised fresh concerns about the treatment of Afghan detainees and the conduct of British special forces during military operations.
Three brothers killed during raid
Christopher Green, who served with the Army Reserve in Afghanistan in 2012, told the inquiry that he attempted to raise concerns after three brothers were killed during an operation in the village of Rahim.
The men were described as farmers and were shot during a planned detention raid that was later said to have “gone wrong”, forcing special forces soldiers to open fire in self-defence.
However, Green said military intelligence showed no evidence that the brothers were Taliban commanders or involved in armed activity.
He said his unit’s intelligence team was “pretty clear” that the men appeared to be ordinary farmers.
When Green questioned a liaison officer about the killings, he said he was met with hostility and accused of being a “Taliban-loving apologist”.
Green also requested access to video footage of the incident, known as “gun tapes”, in order to understand what had happened and address anger among local residents.
Despite holding the required security clearance, he said he was denied access to the footage.
Payment described as possible admission of guilt
The inquiry heard that the brothers’ mother, Bebe Hazrata, was later given the equivalent of £3,634 by the British government following the deaths of her sons.
The money was officially described as an “assistance payment”.
Green said such payments were highly unusual and believed it amounted to an acknowledgement that British forces had killed the wrong people.
He expressed regret that he had not spoken publicly about the incident sooner.
Prisoners allegedly abused with forklifts
A second whistleblower, former journalist Monica Grenfell, worked in kitchen and storage roles alongside UK special forces.
She told the inquiry that a soldier had described placing Afghan detainees on a forklift, lifting them into the air and driving at speed so that they would fall off.
Grenfell said the abuse was carried out “for fun”.
She described an environment in which soldiers appeared to operate without effective supervision or accountability.
Grenfell said she had “never been anywhere that was as bad” and felt that personnel had been “let off the leash”.
She also raised concerns about the language used by soldiers and the apparent absence of meaningful oversight.
Previous investigations ended without prosecutions
The inquiry is examining whether unlawful activity was covered up and whether allegations against British special forces were properly investigated by the Royal Military Police.
Operation Northmoor, a £10 million investigation launched in 2014, examined allegations that members of the Special Air Service carried out unlawful killings in Afghanistan, including the alleged execution of children.
No charges were brought following the investigation.
A separate Royal Military Police investigation, known as Operation Cestro, resulted in three soldiers being referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority. None were prosecuted.
The Ministry of Defence said the British government remained committed to cooperating with the independent inquiry and supporting current and former defence personnel who provide evidence.
It added that the inquiry should be allowed to complete its work before the government responds fully to the allegations.