Defence Force admits book's location right, but denies civilian casualties

Wednesday, 14 March 2018

Information released by the New Zealand Defence Force confirms the location of a village at the centre of allegations about civilian casualties was the place where Operation Burnham took place. The NZDF denies civilian casualties during the raid. Pictured: The Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Tim Keating during a media conference to address claims made in the book in March 2017.

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has confirmed the location of an Afghanistan village in the book Hit & Run was the same place where an SAS raid, Operation Burnham took place.

Previously NZDF had said allegations in Hit & Run were not credible as the location of the villages where they were to have taken place was not the site of Operation Burnham.

The New Zealand Defence Force has been ordered to release information about Operation Burnham, the subject of the book Hit & Run by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson. The book alleges civilians were killed in the operation.

Delayed responses to Official Information Act (OIA) questions by Hager and four others were released on March 6, 2018, following an investigation by the Ombudsman. Those who requested the information were not informed it had been released until March 13 though.

The NZDF confirmed three photos of a village in Hit & Run 'are of Tirgiran Village', the NZDF name for the place where the SAS conducted the raid.

* Defence admits to possible civilian casualties in Afghan raid

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* NZDF admits possible death**

Published in March 2017, the book by investigative journalists Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson alleged raids conducted by the SAS in Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of six civilians, including a small child, and the wounding of 15 others.

The claims have been denied by the NZDF.

Incorrect location markings on satellite maps for the raid location in the first edition of the book were corrected in the next edition.

Hager and Stephenson maintained their allegations about civilian deaths and a cover up by the NZDF.

In a statement, Hager said Chief of Defence Force Tim Keating had used the map error to 'divert attention away from the issue of civilian casualties'.

'I believe that the impulse to hide the NZDF's mistakes led the Chief of Defence Force knowingly to mislead the media and the public.'

The release of information by NZDF provided little new information.

The operation to capture an insurgent in the village began at 12.30am on August 22, 2010. Afghan and NZDF personnel were taken to the outskirts of Tirgiran village by helicopter.

Coalition airforces providing support identified a number of insurgents with weapons on high ground and within Tirgiran.

Coalition aircraft engaged with insurgent groups and rounds from a helicopter fell short of its target due to a malfunction.

'According to the report of a later joint International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)/Afghanistan Government investigation, civilian casualties may have occurred as a result of these rounds falling short and striking two buildings.'

Prior to the book's publication the NZDF had maintained reports of civilian casualties were 'unfounded'.

In the information released on Tuesday the NZDF said the term 'unfounded was intended to address the suggestion that the NZDF was responsible for civilian casualties'.

'In so far as there may have been civilian casualties caused by a malfunction on a coalition helicopter in the same operation, the NZDF acknowledges that use of the term 'unfounded' may have suggested that the NZDF does not accept this possibility. This is not the case.'

Ground forces made a 'callout' – an announcement by an interpreter – to the villagers about their presence and intentions. A quantity of weapons and ammunition was captured. One insurgent who was approaching one of the ground force positions was shot and killed by the NZDF ground force.

'Two shots were fired. Those two shots were the only shots fired by NZDF personnel during the entire operation.'

'Explosive entry' was used to enter 'Residence A1' but was not 'blown up', 'as claimed in Hit & Run'.

NZDF personnel did not deliberately set fire to any houses or call in coalition airforces to destroy them, the NZDF information said.

A residence that was searched later caught fire 'due to what has been attributed to a cooking fire that had been left unattended'.

Another house caught fire 'when debris from the destruction of the insurgent weapons and ammunition fell on the roof setting the highly combustible roofing material alight'.

One NZDF serviceman was injured when a wall in a house he entered collapsed on top of him. He was airlifted out at 2.45am.

The information release included New Zealand Gallantry Medal citations for two servicemen including 'Serviceman F', who was injured and 'serviceman A' a joint tactical air controller.

Both servicemen were involved in a 'night mission in Northern Afghanistan to arrest two known insurgents responsible for numerous attacks and killings, including the death of Lieutenant O'Donnell.

When the operation concluded ground forces were airlifted out of the village by 3.45am.

The information release included New Zealand Gallantry Medal citations for two servicemen in the operation including one who was wounded.