In July 2022, a team of five British Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers conducted a covert operation in Syria with the objective of capturing a high-ranking ISIS leader. During the course of this mission, the soldiers engaged in a shooting that resulted in the deaths of two individuals. Following the incident, the circumstances surrounding the use of lethal force became the subject of a formal murder inquiry.

The investigation into the soldiers' conduct is ongoing. While the mission was authorized as a counter-terrorism operation, the subsequent inquiry focuses on whether the soldiers acted within the rules of engagement or if the use of force was unjustified. The Ministry of Defence has not released specific details regarding the identities of the deceased or the exact sequence of events that led to the shooting, citing the sensitivity of special forces operations. The inquiry remains a significant point of scrutiny, as it involves elite military personnel operating in a complex conflict zone where the distinction between combatants and non-combatants can be difficult to establish in the heat of a mission.