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Afghanistan deaths: Afghan man shot marine and medic, inquest told Afghanistan killings an 'insider attack', coroner rules
(about 3 hours later)
Marines have told an inquest how a young Afghan man fired round after round of bullets at them, killing two of their UK military comrades. Two UK military personnel shot dead in Afghanistan were unlawfully killed in an "insider attack", a coroner has ruled.
Northern Irish medic Cpl Channing Day, and Cpl David O'Connor, of 40 Commando, from Hampshire, died after the gun battle in Helmand province last year. Northern Irish medic Cpl Channing Day, and Cpl David O'Connor, of 40 Commando, from Hampshire, died after a gun battle in Helmand province last year.
Oxford Coroner's Court heard that both died from gunshot wounds to the chest. An Afghan policeman had fired first, before being killed, with a second attacker's involvement "likely", found Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter.
Marine Rees said the patrol came under fire as they escorted Cpl Day, who was to teach first aid to Afghan police. The motive remained unclear, he added.
In evidence to Oxford Coroner's Court, marines described how they came under fire in October 2012 as they escorted Cpl Day to teach first aid to Afghan police.
As the group reached a checkpoint near the village of Char Kutsa, in the Nahr-e Saraj district, Marine Rees said he spotted two men walking towards the mosque, one of whom was carrying a loaded rifle with tape around it.As the group reached a checkpoint near the village of Char Kutsa, in the Nahr-e Saraj district, Marine Rees said he spotted two men walking towards the mosque, one of whom was carrying a loaded rifle with tape around it.
In a statement that was read out in court, Marine Rees said he had greeted the pair in Pashtu but received no reply.In a statement that was read out in court, Marine Rees said he had greeted the pair in Pashtu but received no reply.
He described how moments later a lot of dirt was churned up as one of the Afghan men, whom he said was under 18 and not wearing a uniform, began firing on automatic in three- or four-second bursts.He described how moments later a lot of dirt was churned up as one of the Afghan men, whom he said was under 18 and not wearing a uniform, began firing on automatic in three- or four-second bursts.
As the man moved towards a wall, Marine Rees fired three shots back at him and then there were rounds "hitting the wall and trees around us", he added.As the man moved towards a wall, Marine Rees fired three shots back at him and then there were rounds "hitting the wall and trees around us", he added.
Another unnamed marine said the gunman "sprayed his weapon from side to side in our general direction".Another unnamed marine said the gunman "sprayed his weapon from side to side in our general direction".
After a comrade called that one of them had been hit, the marine said in his statement that he fired about 20 rounds at the gunman who was 15ft (4.6m) away.After a comrade called that one of them had been hit, the marine said in his statement that he fired about 20 rounds at the gunman who was 15ft (4.6m) away.
"It all happened very quickly," he said, and was over in a couple of minutes."It all happened very quickly," he said, and was over in a couple of minutes.
The Afghan man also died.
Cpl Philip Benford, who was in command of the group of eight including Cpl Day and Cpl O'Connor, told the inquest he was positive there had been two gunmen.Cpl Philip Benford, who was in command of the group of eight including Cpl Day and Cpl O'Connor, told the inquest he was positive there had been two gunmen.
He said that the dead man who had been lying next to the weapon with distinctive bright-coloured tape wrapped around it had been wearing different clothes to his accomplice. The Afghan man left dead after the gun battle, with the taped rifle next to him, was dressed differently to a gunman Cpl Benford had seen, he said.
"The shots I saw - I distinctly remember - were from a guy with a dark overall and a light blue undergarment, which was very different from the garment which I passed as I was clearing the area," he said."The shots I saw - I distinctly remember - were from a guy with a dark overall and a light blue undergarment, which was very different from the garment which I passed as I was clearing the area," he said.
Cpl Benford said that when Afghan Uniformed Police officers had arrived at the scene, they had seemed casual and "at ease", "like they knew what was going on".
Forensic evidence
Cpl Nick Brown said he had seen the man carrying an AK-47, with distinctive bright-coloured tape wrapped around it, a number of times in the weeks before the attack.
The man - whose name was Naqib - was usually friendly and they would often communicate in broken English or Pashtu, Cpl Brown added.
Cpl Brown also told the inquest Naqib was known to be a drug user and seemed "a bit vacant" when he had seen him earlier on the day of the attack.
A forensic scientist gave evidence that the weapon strapped with bright-coloured tape was not the rifle used to kill Cpl Day or Cpl O'Connor.A forensic scientist gave evidence that the weapon strapped with bright-coloured tape was not the rifle used to kill Cpl Day or Cpl O'Connor.
Cpl Benford said that when the gunmen's colleagues from the Afghan Uniformed Police had arrived at the scene, they had seemed casual and "at ease", "like they knew what was going on". Mr Salter concluded that Cpl Day and Cpl O'Connor had been unlawfully killed while on active service.
'Exceptional marine' "First of all, to the extent that there was any doubt before, this was, and should be termed as, an insider attack," he said.
Cpl Nick Brown told the inquest he had seen the man carrying the AK-47 with the bright-coloured tape a number of times in the weeks before the attack. In the immediate aftermath of the incident on 23 October last year, Afghan police claimed that both UK personnel had been shot by their own comrades. But this claim was later dismissed by Nato specialists and Afghan government representatives.
He said the man's name was Naqib and that he was usually friendly and they would often communicate in broken English or Pashtu. Referring to the man identified as Naqib, Mr Salter said: "He was a known identified member of the Afghan Uniformed Police and he was the person responsible for the inside attack.
Cpl Brown said Naqib was known to be a drug user and seemed "a bit vacant" when he had seen him earlier on the day of the attack. "In terms of his motive, that is always going to involve some speculation, of course, because he is deceased."
Sgt Richard Bateman, also giving evidence to the court, said he thought "very highly" of Cpl Day who did "an excellent job". The coroner added: "It appears in evidence, particularly in evidence from the persons that were present, that it was this individual who fired the shots on Cpl Day and Cpl O'Connor before he was killed.
He also described Cpl O'Connor as an "exceptional" marine. "It seems likely that there was a second attacker."
Immediately after the incident on 23 October last year, Afghan police claimed that both UK personnel had been shot by their own comrades.
But the Ministry of Defence denied this and Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond confirmed his staff were looking into the possibility they were shot by a policeman.
After an initial review of the scene, Nato specialists and Afghan government representatives said the pair had not been killed by British forces.
Instead, they were believed to have died at the hands of what the MoD suggested was "a third party or parties whose identities have yet to be established but who are not UK personnel".
Cpl Day, 25, who was from Comber in County Down, joined the Army in 2005 and was deployed to Afghanistan less than a month before she became the UK's third female soldier to be killed there since 2001.Cpl Day, 25, who was from Comber in County Down, joined the Army in 2005 and was deployed to Afghanistan less than a month before she became the UK's third female soldier to be killed there since 2001.
Cpl O'Connor, 27, had been in Afghanistan since the end of the previous month and was serving as a section commander in the acting rank of corporal.Cpl O'Connor, 27, had been in Afghanistan since the end of the previous month and was serving as a section commander in the acting rank of corporal.