SAS on secret revenge mission hunted down and killed two of Iran-backed gang who murdered British troops in Iraq

October 4, 2026Ghana

By MARK NICOL, DEFENCE EDITOR 18:47 03 Oct 2026, updated 02:36 04 Oct 2026

The SAS secretly tracked down and killed two members of a gang who murdered six British military policemen in Iraq, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

At the time, the deaths of the Red Caps in June 2003, weeks after Saddam Hussein was toppled, was the largest loss of UK life to enemy forces in the Iraq war.

For 23 years it was thought the killers fled across the border into Iran to escape justice. But in a remarkable development, SAS sources have revealed in a new book that they located a pair of the Iranian-backed gang members involved and killed them.

The details of their deaths have not been disclosed, but sources also revealed that the SAS would have taken down more, had they not been stopped by UK top brass.

It is understood generals feared challenging Iranian-backed terrorists would trigger an uprising against UK forces in southern Iraq, which, like Iran, is mainly Shia.

Last night, one of the fathers of the slain Red Caps, whose families have repeatedly accused the government of a cover-up over the deaths, said he was stunned to learn the SAS had ‘meted out justice’.

John Miller, the father of Corporal Simon Miller, who was 21 at the time, told the MoS: ‘This has been kept from us for 23 years. I can’t believe we are hearing it now, from you. 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.

‘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.’

The other Red Caps executed in an Iraqi police station following an angry demonstration were Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, Corporal Russell Aston, 30, Corporal Paul Long, 24, Lance Corporal Ben Hyde, 23, and Lance Corporal Tom Keys, 20. Iraqi police officers fled the station in Majar al-Kabir in the Maysan province of southern Iraq minutes before they were murdered.

Days later, when SAS officers visited the same station disguised as grieving colleagues, the Iraqi police officers shared the killers’ names.

Recalling their covert mission, an SAS officer says in the book that ‘we couldn’t believe how disinterested UK commanders were in finding those responsible. We just got on with it and got lucky.

‘We got their names and went after the murderers. But the reaction from the hierarchy was, “Stop, you’re stirring up opposition to us”.

‘Every one of those gang members posed a live threat to UK forces. We would have got them all given the chance. We flew back to Baghdad knowing more British troops’ lives would be lost because of the reluctance of senior officers to confront the Iranian threat.’

The Red Caps’ families have always disputed the findings of a 2006 inquest that their deaths could not have been avoided. To add to their anger, in 2013, nine Iraqi police officers were awarded £800,000 in compensation after claiming they had been tortured to obtain the killers’ names.

The MoD has expressed its ‘heartfelt sympathies’ with the slain troops’ families. Officials do not comment publicly on any SAS operations.

Blades by Mark Nicol will be published on Thursday by Biteback, priced £22. To order a copy for £19.80 (offer valid until October 18; UK p&p free on all orders over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.

‘Yes I pulled down my half of a semi-detached home… but I’m no neighbour from hell’: Carpenter who…

The £2million Hansel and Gretel cottage renovation dream that became a nightmare: Millionaire couple…

How posh is your wardrobe? The tell-tale fashion clues that reveal who’s really upper class -…

Russian PLAGUE alert: Hundreds of people and three hospitals put into quarantine amid fatal outbreak…

Christa Pike’s hospital room surrounded by guards as lawyer says she may never ‘fully recover’ after…

Mayfair’s £1,000-a-night five-star Connaught Hotel has some uninvited guests on its doorstep……

Shipping container village hailed as a ‘dream for all homeless people’ is making life a ‘living…

Body of woman ‘wearing a wetsuit’ is found washed up on popular beach a day after coastguard were…

Greens labelled ‘first openly anti-Semitic party in the UK’ as members approve Zionism is Racism…

Bloodshed on the Costa del Sol: How holiday hotspot is turning into underworld battleground with…

Chilling moment gang corner man, 21, ‘like pack of animals’ and stab him to death – as killers…

Girl, 7, fatally stabbed in the back by woman as she was walking down the street

Trans activists gatecrash Green women’s event to protest discussion about female health

British grandfather pleads for help and says he is having ‘dark thoughts’ as he faces jail in Dubai…

Kemi Badenoch vows to emulate Thatcher by restoring ‘common sense’ Conservatism – as she kicks off…

Brits to be able to use their face as their passport as new technology means they won’t have to scan…

SAS killed two of the gang who murdered Red Caps in IraqComments are subject to our House rules and TermsNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}

No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first.

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{#replies.comments}}{{^isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{#isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{/replies.comments}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{^replies.totalCount}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{/isComment}}The opinions and views expressed in the comments section are solely those of the individual users and do not represent or reflect the opinions, views, or positions of MailOnline. MailOnline does not endorse, support, or verify the accuracy of any user-generated content.Terms|Privacy|FeedbackOldest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}