Two members of the gang that killed six British military policemen in Iraq were secretly hunted down and eliminated by the SAS, according to claims in a new book titled “Blades” by Mark Nicol. The June 2003 murders of the Red Caps, which occurred just weeks after the fall of Saddam Hussein, represent the single greatest loss of British military life to hostile action during the entire Iraq conflict. For over two decades, it was widely believed that the killers had escaped across the Iranian border.
SAS Operations and the Hunt in Maysan Province
The six Red Caps—Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, Corporal Russell Aston, 30, Corporal Paul Long, 24, Lance Corporal Ben Hyde, 23, Lance Corporal Tom Keys, 20, and Corporal Simon Miller, 21—were executed inside a police station in Majar al-Kabir, in southern Iraq’s Maysan province. The killings followed an angry demonstration nearby, and Iraqi officers stationed at the building abandoned it minutes before the attack took place. Within days of the incident, SAS operatives returned to the same station posing as mourning comrades of the dead soldiers. During that covert visit, Iraqi police handed over the names of those responsible for the killings.
“We couldn’t believe how disinterested UK commanders were in finding those responsible. We just got on with it and got lucky,” an SAS officer states in the book. “We got their names and went after the murderers. But the reaction from the hierarchy was: ‘Stop, you’re stirring up opposition to us.'” Senior military figures are said to have blocked further operations out of fear of retaliation against British troops operating in predominantly-Shia southern Iraq. The SAS source adds that every gang member posed a live threat to UK forces, and that operatives flew back to Baghdad knowing more British lives would be lost due to the reluctance of senior officers to confront the Iranian threat.
Did You Know? For more than twenty years, the prevailing belief was that the individuals responsible for the deaths of the six Red Caps had successfully escaped across the border into Iran.
John Miller expresses shock over SAS tracking killers
John Miller, the father of 21-year-old Corporal Simon Miller, expressed deep shock upon learning that the SAS had tracked down two of the killers. He told The Mail on Sunday: “This has been kept from us for 23 years. I can’t believe we are hearing it now, from you.” He added: “I am very pleased to hear two of them are dead. I hope the SAS soldiers emptied their magazines into them, as they did to our Si.” At the same time, families have long accused the Government of covering up the circumstances of the killings and have consistently challenged the conclusions of a 2006 inquest which found the deaths were unavoidable.
“But it is another sickening blow for the families that the SAS were stopped from hunting down the others. They got away with it. The SAS catching these guys was our best chance of justice,” John Miller stated. Adding to the families’ grievances, nine Iraqi police officers received £800,000 in compensation in 2013 after claiming they were tortured during efforts to identify the killers. The Ministry of Defence has offered its heartfelt sympathies to the victims’ families but maintains a policy of not publicly discussing SAS operations.
Details about the six British military policemen killed in Iraq
Who were the six British military policemen killed in Iraq?
The six Red Caps killed in June 2003 were Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, Corporal Russell Aston, Corporal Paul Long, Lance Corporal Ben Hyde, Lance Corporal Tom Keys, and Corporal Simon Miller.
Where did the executions take place?
The soldiers were executed inside a police station in Majar al-Kabir, located in southern Iraq’s Maysan province, after an angry demonstration erupted nearby and local Iraqi officers abandoned the building.
What compensation was paid to Iraqi police officers in connection with the case?
In 2013, nine Iraqi police officers were awarded £800,000 in compensation after claiming they were tortured during efforts to identify the killers.
What additional information regarding the 2003 Majar al-Kabir killings could emerge as military archives and official records face renewed scrutiny from affected families?
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