British marines charged with murder over Afghanistan ‘incident’
Royal Marines line up for a parade at Plymouth Hoe on November 11, 2011 in Plymouth, England.
Five Royal British marines have been charged with murder over their involvement in an "incident" in the Helmand province in Afghanistan, where the majority of Britain’s 9,500 troops are stationed.
Nine servicemen were arrested after a video was found on one of the marine's laptops, though four were released without charges pending further inquiries, the Telegraph reported.
The video reportedly shows a Royal Marine patrol standing around an injured Taliban fighter lying on the ground of a compound; the soldiers are talking about what to do with the injured man, but the film apparently stops rolling before any action is taken, according to the Telegraph.
The British marines' murder charges and arrests are believed to be the first of their kind during the Afghanistan war, BBC News reported.
“Everybody serving in theater knows the rules of engagement,” Britain's Defense Secretary Philip Hammond said Sunday, the Associated Press reported. He also vowed that “any abuse will be dealt with.”
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