Five SAS soldiers not charged in Britain — NDTV World

British military prosecutors decided not to bring charges against five Special Air Service (SAS) servicemen who were investigated on suspicion of killing two people during an operation in the Syrian village of Al-Zer. According to NDTV World, citing The Times, the servicemen were informed on May 30, 2025, that no charges would be brought. This decision does not constitute a formal confirmation that their actions were lawful, and the case may be reviewed if new evidence emerges.

Operation in Syria

The incident occurred on the night of July 3, 2022, during Operation Shader, the British military campaign against the Islamic State group. The SAS team was tasked with capturing alive a suspected leader of an ISIS cell, codenamed Bravo One, whom Western intelligence services linked to attacks against Kurdish forces.

Under the plan, the detainee was to be handed over to a Kurdish prison approved by the UK Foreign Office for questioning about ISIS activities and possible terrorist plans in Western countries. As the convoy approached the target, the servicemen heard gunfire but were unable to determine its source. Two people fled, while two others remained in a field.

The servicemen said they regarded the two people as a threat and assumed they were preparing to open fire. The group commander authorized a pursuit, after which four servicemen opened fire at approximately 23:49 and killed both. No weapons were found during an examination of the bodies and the adjacent area.

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Investigation of the case

An initial military review concluded that the servicemen had acted in self-defense. After reports of civilian deaths appeared online, the then director of British special forces, Gwyn Jenkins, referred the case to the Royal Military Police on July 15, 2022.

Police opened a criminal investigation, Operation Tanglement. The commander who authorized the pursuit and the four servicemen who fired came under suspicion. They were investigated on two counts of suspected murder; if convicted, they faced life imprisonment.

The deceased were described as teenagers in publications. One of them was reported to be 17-year-old Muhammad Fateh Khalaf al-Daham. The other was called Abdullah, although there is uncertainty regarding his identity. Social media and local reports linked both to ISIS, but these claims were not independently confirmed.