UK Ministry of Defence finds 97 million documents potentially relevant to Afghanistan inquiry

Britain’s Ministry of Defence has identified about 97 million additional documents, some of which may be relevant to a public inquiry examining allegations that British special forces unlawfully killed people in Afghanistan. According to a letter from Ministry of Defence lawyers reported by Reuters, the material was found within a large dataset that had previously been expected to contain mostly information outside the inquiry’s scope. Inquiry chair Charles Haddon-Cave said the late discovery was troubling and could cause further delay if potentially relevant material is not identified and disclosed quickly. The inquiry was established in 2023 and has not yet issued findings. The allegations against British special forces remain under investigation and are not presented as established judicial findings. A further hearing is expected to address the disclosure issue.