What's happened
UK Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer raises concerns about alleged war crimes by UK special forces in Afghanistan, including the SAS, and their impact on Afghan soldiers seeking sanctuary in the UK.
Why it matters
The allegations of war crimes by UK special forces and the impact on Afghan soldiers seeking sanctuary are significant and raise questions about military conduct and the treatment of allies.
What the papers say
The Independent reports on Mercer's testimony to an inquiry, The Guardian provides details on the impact on Afghan soldiers seeking sanctuary, and BBC News covers Mercer's efforts to disprove the allegations.
How we got here
The story spans multiple days, with Mercer testifying to an inquiry and raising concerns about the alleged war crimes and their impact on Afghan soldiers seeking sanctuary in the UK.
More on these topics
-
John Luther Mercer is a British Conservative politician and former British Army officer. He has served as the Member of Parliament for Plymouth Moor View since 2015.
-
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia.
-
The Special Air Service is a special forces unit of the British Army. The SAS was founded in 1941 as a regiment, and later reconstituted as a corps in 1950.
-
Afghans or Afghan people are nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, or people with ancestry from there. Concurrently the term "Afghan" can refer to someone or something of that country.
-
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the northÂwestern coast of the European mainland.
-
The United Kingdom Special Forces is a directorate comprising the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, the Special Forces Support Group, 18 Signal Regiment and the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing, as well