MoD faces legal battle over evacuation of Afghan troops

The Ministry of Defence MoD) is embroiled in a legal battle over the evacuation of former Afghan special forces commandos to the UK.

- HOLLY BANCROFT

Hundreds of Afghan soldiers who fought alongside British special forces troops are being brought to safety in the UK – after a campaign by The Independent and Lighthouse Reports revealed that many had been wrongly denied sanctuary. The Ministry of Defence is undertaking a review of some 2,000 resettlement applications after this newspaper revealed dozens of cases of former commandos being tortured, disappeared or killed by the Taliban.

The commandos were members of two units, CF 333 and ATF 444 (also known as the Triples), who trained and fought alongside UK special forces in Afghanistan.

Armed forces minister Luke Pollard has pledged to bring an estimated 500 to safety following the review, with campaigners fearing that many more could be left to the mercy of the Taliban. Now it has emerged that the government is facing legal action over the way the review is being carried out. A former senior member of the Triples, who is now in the UK, is bringing the challenge on behalf of commandos still in Afghanistan, the BBC reported.