British troops 'shoot first' tactics leave more soldiers being killed in gun battles

The number of British soldiers being shot dead in Afghanistan is spiralling as new tactics ban them from shooting at the Taliban until they are fired at themselves. Eleven have been killed by enemy gunfire in Helmand in the past three months compared with two in the same period during 2011. Soldiers blame efforts to slash the number of civilian casualties ordered by the US general in command of Coalition forces. The Ministry of Defence yesterday denied the rules of engagement for British troops had changed. But a spokesman for Coalition forces said British soldiers were told to change procedures after a tactical review. Troops yesterday said they are now more vulnerable at road-junction checkpoints or while patrolling Taliban heartlands. They say that previously they could shoot first but are now allowed only to return fire. One corporal said: “When I arrived in Helmand, my officers said our tactics were going to change. They said if I saw somebody carrying a rifle or a rocket launcher, I shouldn’t fire at him. Only if he shot at me or a member of my patrol, and I could see a muzzle flash, could I use my weapon. “I was shocked and so were my mates. We are trained to close in and kill the enemy, not to let him stroll on, watch us and let him choose the best time to ambush us. “It has been hard to obey these orders on patrol. There have been many occasions when we have come under fire from the Taliban, who we’ve seen following us. “On previous tours, we would have engaged the enemy first to show them what we were made of. We’re up for a fight but now we always have to back off. It makes me question the point of us being here.” The corporal added: “Older guys like me have seen tactics change over the years and 2012 is the hardest because we’re taking so many backward steps. “I really feel for the families of the guys who’ve lost their lives, and I miss my mates who are dead.” But an MoD source said: “It is nonsense to suggest that a soldier would be prevented from firing at the enemy if they were armed with a rocket launcher.” Tory MP and ex-Army officer Patrick Mercer said he had spoken to soldiers about the change in tactics and said they were feeling “frustrated and vulnerable”. He said: “The Taliban can move as they please, even when heavily armed, and we’re not interfering with them. “Currently there is a reluctance to engage and a preference for a policing approach. The rise in fatal wounds from gunshots comes as no surprise. I feel deeply for the soldiers placed in this perilous position.” Military sources said that the timing of the change, ordered by US General John Allen, ­coincided with a tactical shift by the Taliban. It is trying to fire on troops more because of British success in finding buried ­explosive devices. The MoD source pointed to the change in Taliban tactics as a reason for the rise in soldiers being killed by gunfire. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has criticised the ­Coalition for causing civilian casualties. The United Nations estimates that more than 3,000 were killed last year. A spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force said General Allen had made sure commanders enforced a new tactical directive “with an emphasis on the prevention of civilian casualties”. The MoD said the directive “in no way limits the use of fire support in situations of self-defence”.