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| Afghanistan killings an 'insider attack', coroner rules | Afghanistan killings an 'insider attack', coroner rules |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Two UK military personnel shot dead in Afghanistan were unlawfully killed in an "insider attack", a coroner has ruled. | 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 a 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. |
| An Afghan policeman had fired first, before being killed, with a second attacker's involvement "likely", found Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter. | An Afghan policeman had fired first, before being killed, with a second attacker's involvement "likely", found Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter. |
| The motive remained unclear, he added. | 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. | 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. |
| 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. |
| 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 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". | 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 | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Mr Salter concluded that Cpl Day and Cpl O'Connor had been unlawfully killed while on active service. | Mr Salter concluded that Cpl Day and Cpl O'Connor had been unlawfully killed while on active service. |
| "First of all, to the extent that there was any doubt before, this was, and should be termed as, an insider attack," he said. | "First of all, to the extent that there was any doubt before, this was, and should be termed as, an insider attack," he said. |
| In the immediate aftermath of the incident on 24 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. | |
| 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. | 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. |
| "In terms of his motive, that is always going to involve some speculation, of course, because he is deceased." | "In terms of his motive, that is always going to involve some speculation, of course, because he is deceased." |
| 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. | 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. |
| "It seems likely that there was a second attacker." | "It seems likely that there was a second attacker." |
| 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. |