An inquiry into UK special forces operations in Afghanistan has released photos described as "essential evidence", showing soldiers could have executed unarmed people laying asleep.
For the first time, the inquiry has made public photos taken of the deceased, across two SAS operations, that show multiple individuals lying in bed with shots to the head.
The inquiry's lead barrister, Oliver Glasgow KC, said the photos may be evidence of possible war crimes and worthy of expert interrogation.
The public inquiry is examining allegations that the SAS murdered unarmed civilians and detainees on night raids between 2010 and 2013 and planted weapons to cover up the killings.
The graphic photographs show multiple unarmed people lying in bed.
One person was tucked under a floral blanket, others with their heads on pillows, blood pooling around their heads. Blood spatter is visible low on the wall in one of the images, consistent with someone being shot while lying down.
Glasgow described how many "look like they sustained head shots" and in a number of cases "there appears to be a dead body with his head on a pillow".
He said further analysis may be able to confirm if the people in the photographs were "shot when asleep".
Seventeen people were killed across the two operations which took place in Helmand province in 2011.…
