A study by the Action Against Armed Violence research group has revealed that British special forces have engaged in covert operations without the approval of the British Parliament in 19 countries and territories, including Syria, Sudan, Yemen, the Strait of Hormuz, Somalia, Algeria, Iraq and Pakistan.

The research group based its sources on leaks published in the British and international press since 2011.

British special units, operating in secret without the government making their activities public, include the Special Air Service (SAS), the Special Boat Service (SBS), the SRR Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), and other special forces whose members are constantly deployed on the orders of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence to carry out high-risk missions, although the country is not usually at war.

The research group's study, published on Tuesday, revealed that British special forces were deployed to participate in international armed conflicts, without any prior parliamentary approval to carry out these tasks.

The research group says British special forces activities have been controversial because they are linked to practices including assassinations of British citizens in Iraq and Syria, cover-ups of civilian killings in Afghanistan, participation in fighting in Yemen with tribal leaders recruiting children, and friendly shootings that have left people dead in Syria.

This situation has led to mounting calls by members of the British Parliament and its relevant committees for greater transparency and oversight of the work of British special forces.

The commander of the British special forces remains accountable only to the British Minister of Defence and the Prime Minister, so there is no parliamentary oversight of the work of these forces, unlike what is the case for the British Foreign Intelligence Service (MI6), whose work is monitored by the British Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee.

The current chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, Julian Lewis, has called on his committee to fill the void in its oversight of the work of British special forces, and similar calls have been made by other parliamentarians, including former Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Crispin Blunt, David Davis, Malcolm Rifkind, and former British Attorney General Dominic Grieve.

Below are details of British special forces activity in Arab and Muslim countries since 2011:

  • Sudan: British special forces participated in the evacuation of British diplomats and their families from areas of clash in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, in cooperation with French and American forces.
  • Algeria: In January 2013, Britain sent a small group of Special Air Service Forces and Special Boat Service to Algeria to advise and assist in the wake of the attack on a gas facility in the south of the country.
  • Strait of Hormuz: Special forces sent to monitor Iranian activities around Qeshm Island in the waters of the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Iraq: Special forces carried out operations in Iraq between 2014 and 2021, ranging from gathering intelligence, targeting ISIS leaders, supporting the Iraqi army and Kurdistan Regional Forces, as well as preparing a list of British fighters in armed organizations.
  • Libya: British special forces engaged in operations on Libyan soil between 2011 and 2019, manifesting themselves in the hunt for the late Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, fighting ISIS in the city of Sirte, and training Libyan forces.
  • Syria: Britain has deployed special forces to train the Syrian armed opposition, gather intelligence, and engage in direct confrontation with the Islamic State in cooperation with the international coalition led by Washington.
  • Yemen: British special forces carried out killings or arrests against al-Qaeda elements, as well as hostage releases, training and support to Yemeni forces.
  • Pakistan: Members of the Special Boat Service and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, accompanied by U.S. forces, participated in the identification and elimination of prominent members of al-Qaeda and the Taliban.