Footage Emerges Of The Lead Up To The Shooting Of An Afghan Insurgent By Solidiers

Three Royal Marines were convicted for killing a insurgent in their custody in Afghanistan in the Helmand Province Incident.

Alexander Blackman was named and convicted of murder in 2013 as a result of the event.

Now, new video footage has emerged showing the moments leading up to the incident.

Credit: Ministry of Defence

On 15^th of September 2011, Royal Marine Blackman killed a severely injured Taliban insurgent, and this was the first time a soldier has been convicted of a battlefield murder since World War II.

Royal Marine Blackman; Credit: PA

As a soldier, it's illegal to kill a captured insurgent.

Blackman dragged the injured man across the field, told two other marines to stop administering first aid and kicked him, before shooting him in the chest.

"Shuffle off this mortal coil, you c**t," he was caught saying on camera. "It's nothing you wouldn't do to us. I just broke the Geneva Convention."

Credit: Ministry of Defence

The Geneva Convention states that you can't kill a prisoner of war - as Blackman had just done to the insurgent.

As the marines watch, an Apache helicopter fires on two insurgents in a field in front of them. The marines whoop and laugh as they listen to the loud gunfire and discuss whether the chopper managed to kill the two insurgents.

"I think he's dead," says one of the marines.

"They've missed him!"

"They missed the cheeser," another says.

"Error after error after error," says another one.

"It's an absolute travesty," says a voice.

Credit: Ministry of Defence

There's a lot of swearing on the video, but that's all you can see - the lead up to the incident.

The footage of Blackman shooting the insurgent won't be shown publicly - three judges have ruled it would be unsafe and could incite retaliation for British soldiers and for Blackman's family.

Blackman's appeal is next Tuesday and ex-marines are expected to show up in London in solidarity. His lawyers were arguing he was suffering from combat stress disorder when he pulled the trigger. He's currently serving eight years for manslaughter and has been dismissed from the army.

Source: The Daily Mail

Featured Image Credit: Ministry of Defence

Topics: army

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay has been a Senior Journalist for Tyla and LADbible since 2015. She started her career writing obituaries and funeral guides online. Since then, her work has been published in a wide variety of national and local news sites. She is part of the BBC's Generation project and has spoken about young people, politics and mental health on television, radio and online. Contact her - [email protected]

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