By Action on Armed Violence –

Britain’s Special Forces have been deployed operationally in at least 19 overseas countries in the past decade, new analysis reveals, raising questions over the degree of transparency and democratic consent these shadowy units operate under. The countries where there have been active operations are: Algeria, Estonia, France, Iran/Oman (Strait of Hormuz), Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mediterranean (Cyprus), Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.

A former British serviceman who had returned from Yemen in 2019 told the Mail on Sunday that the conflict saw UKSF fighting on the same side as child soldiers. This is because Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, its main partner in the war, bribed Yemeni tribal leaders with links to Al Qaeda to take their side in the conflict and up to 40% of their forces can be children.

The article by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) is comprehensive, and it uncovers the extent of secret deployments of British forces by the Ministry of Defence. Read here the full report.