Afghan inquiry into alleged SAS war crimes has already cost £58m, MoD figures show

Afghan inquiry into alleged SAS war crimes has already cost £58m, MoD figures show. Image caption, The SAS carried out night raids with Afghan special forces to target the TalibanByJonathan Beale Defence correspondentPublished3 hours agoAn inquiry into allegations British Special Forces murdered unarmed Afghan civilians has cost UK taxpayers £58m, figures from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) show.

What happened

Image caption, The inquiry is investigating alleged war crimes by SAS soldiers in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013The inquiry's costs were £14. The Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan (IIRTA) was established to investigate alleged war crimes committed by soldiers serving with the Special Air Service between 2010 and 2013, during so called night raids targeting the Taliban. SAS unit repeatedly killed Afghan detainees, BBC findsPublished12 July 2022SAS had golden pass to get away with murder, inquiry toldPublished8 January 2025SAS war crime evidence suppressed, inquiry hearsPublished1 December 2025While much of the inquiry's work has been carried out in closed sessions to protect the identities of serving personnel, it has published some evidence on its website.

It has already heard evidence from senior UK military personnel who have said they believed the SAS carried out extra judicial killings of Afghan civilians. The figure included the costs to the MoD as well as those of the inquiry team, it said. The Bloody Sunday Inquiry, which found the killing of 13 civil rights protesters in Northern Ireland by British soldiers was "unjustified", took 12 years to complete and cost more than £190m. "Related topicsBritish Armed ForcesWar in Afghanistan (2001-2021)Afghan inquiry chair denies BBC application to name senior officersPublished17 JuneMore on this storyInquiry finds MoD Afghan data breach was foreseeable failurePublished30 July

The wider picture

The inquiry has been running for more than three and a half years but has yet to publish any findings. When the inquiry was launched in 2023, its chair Lord Justice Haddon-Cave said it would aim to report, "at least on an interim basis", within 12-18 months. In a statement, the inquiry said its work was "greater and more complex than it originally envisaged". The inquiry said its expenditure was proportionate and overseen judicially. Following a Freedom of Information request submitted by the BBC, the MoD put the overall cost at £58m to March 2026.

The MoD said that 74 of its staff were currently working more than 50% of their time on the inquiry. The SAS Regimental Association (SASRA), which represents more than 5,000 SAS veterans and serving personnel, said it remained committed to supporting the inquiry and helping achieve a "timely solution". "It said the inquiry posed a "significant challenge, not only to the regiment's reputation and the wellbeing and morale of its members, but in the association's view, to the operational effectiveness of a key element of the nation's defence".

What has been reported

It said the cumulative effect of decades of legal scrutiny arising from operations in Northern Ireland, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria was placing a significant burden on individuals, families and the association itself. In response, the inquiry said it remained committed to the welfare and safety of UK Special Forces personnel, and a timely conclusion to the inquiry was in everyone's interest. "The chair remains committed to the welfare and safety of UK Special Forces personnel and witnesses who come forward to the inquiry.

It added that delays by the MoD in disclosing information had also affected the timetable. These include allegations the SAS murdered detainees and unarmed civilians, including children, during operations. It was set up by the former defence secretary, Ben Wallace, in the wake of allegations first reported by BBC Panorama, in 2022. It has also heard concerns about the secrecy in which the SAS operated and that previous investigations into the allegations were ended prematurely. 68m, until the end of the 2024-5 financial year.

What happens next

Those included the salary of the chair, Sir Charles Haddon-Cave, its secretariat, lawyers and expert witnesses. However, the Ministry of Defence has given a much higher figure. But in a statement, it added: "The prolonged nature of the process is itself causing significant and widening harm.