Picture Of RAF Pose With Dead Taliban Prompts RAF Probe

The Royal Air Force has confirmed it is investigating disturbing images that appear to show British military personnel posing and giving thumbs up symbols next to dead Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said the case is being treated ‘extremely seriously’ after the pictures were posted to LiveLeak, showing what is believed to be the aftermath of an attack on Camp Bastion in 2012.

Several pictures show British personnel bending down next to the dead bodies of enemy combatants and gesturing to the camera. Other images show wreckage of aircraft at the base.

An RAF spokesperson added: ‘We can confirm that the incident is currently subject to an ongoing RAF police investigation and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.’

The case has disturbing echoes of the Abu Ghraib scandal from 2003, when pictures of members of the US Army were circulated on the internet – showing images of torture and humiliation of Iraqi prisoners of war.

According to a BBC report, two RAF regiment members have already been withdrawn from frontline duties.

The attack in question, which occurred in September 2012, saw two US marines killed and six Harrier fighter jets destroyed – the biggest loss of US aircraft in a single day since the Vietnam War.