London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

UK special forces carried out secret operations in 11 Arab, Muslim countries in last 12 years: report

UK special forces carried out secret operations in 11 Arab, Muslim countries in last 12 years: report

UK special forces have carried out secret operations in 19 countries — including eight Arab and three Muslim ones — over the past 12 years, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.
Based on media leaks, a report by research group Action on Armed Violence lists a range of countries that Britain has sent elite units to since 2011. Operations included hostage rescues, exfiltration, training and protection.

In the Arab world, units were sent to Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Oman, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Units were also sent to Muslim-majority countries Afghanistan, Pakistan and Mali.

The Syrian government was a notable target, with units being sent to the country in 2013 to identify possible locations for bombing ahead of a planned aerial campaign that was voted against in the British Parliament.

AOAV said the high-risk missions worldwide were directly ordered by the prime minister or defense secretary, and were kept highly secret.

The report questioned the level of oversight given to the operations. Though acts of war must be approved by the UK Parliament, small-scale special forces operations can be carried out without MPs’ knowledge and are not subject to committee investigations.

In 2015, the SAS had reportedly been given autonomy by then-Prime Minister David Cameron to capture and kill Islamist leaders in the Middle East in the wake of a terror attack in Tunisia that killed 30 Britons in a hotel.

Earlier this year, UK special forces were the subject of scrutiny after a public inquiry found that units had carried out more than 50 summary executions of alleged Taliban members in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2011.

AOAV Executive Director Iain Overton said: “The extensive deployment of Britain’s special forces in numerous countries over the past decade raises serious concerns about transparency and democratic oversight.

“The lack of parliamentary approval and retrospective reviews for these missions is deeply troubling.”

According to AOAV, after the outbreak of violence in Sudan last month UK special forces oversaw the evacuation of a small group of British diplomats and their families from Khartoum, transporting them to an airbase north of the capital.

In a trend that AOAV noted is designed to protect the secrecy of elite operations, credit was given to the Parachute regiment, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force, with no special forces units having been identified for their involvement.

In papers leaked earlier this year, it was also revealed that about 50 special forces members were present in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

In response to the AOAV report, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “It is the longstanding policy of successive governments not to comment on UK special forces.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
×