Fifteen former SAS soldiers and intelligence officers have spoken publicly for the first time about covert operations that resulted in the deaths of IRA members during the Northern Ireland conflict. Their testimonies, released in a new podcast series, detail actions from the late 1970s to the late 1990s and come as veterans warn that the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill could expose them to fresh legal challenges.
Voices from the Shadows
The podcast, produced by The Independent in partnership with Aurra Studios, features candid accounts from SAS troopers and members of the secretive 14 Intelligence Company. Some contributors appear under their real names, while others have been given pseudonyms and voice distortion to protect their identities. Speaking to world affairs editor Sam Kiley, the veterans described missions that remained classified for decades, including posing as IRA targets, surviving ambushes in hedgerows and, for the first time, the deployment of women in special‑force roles.
Many of the interviewees said they had waited years to break their silence, motivated by a growing fear that forthcoming legislation might subject them to “lawfare” for split‑second decisions taken in combat. The testimonies span the period shortly before the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, offering a rare public record of operations that have long been the subject of speculation and controversy.
The Drumnakilly Incident
One of the most detailed recollections comes from George Simm, a former SAS unit commander, who volunteered to act as a decoy during a 1988 operation near Drumnakilly. Simm recalled fixing a puncture on his truck when he heard an over‑revving vehicle approach. “It was definitely over‑revving and it was racing up the road. And about 30 yards from where I was, out popped, who I now know to be young Martin Harte, and opened fire on me. And I counted his rounds…” he said.
Seconds later, Harte, his brother Gerard and a third man, Brian Mullan – who had halted in the attack car – were shot dead by an SAS team concealed in a nearby hedgerow. The killings sparked outrage among Irish republican families, who labelled the three men the “Drumnakilly martyrs” and argued the incident exemplified a state‑sanctioned “shoot‑to‑kill” policy.
The families pursued legal action, and the episode remains a flashpoint in debates over the conduct of British forces during the Troubles.
Legacy and the Troubles Bill
Another contributor, known only as Blue, described a harrowing encounter on St Patrick’s Day 1978 while on an observation post in South Derry. After spotting two armed men in paramilitary uniform, he came under fire at close range. “My gut was telling me something bad was going to go down to such a point that the hairs [on] the back of my neck started to come up. I’d never experienced that before,” he recounted. “They cocked their weapons, and then a millisecond after that, they just opened up with everything they had.” Blue was struck three times, one bullet passing through his stomach, yet he managed to return fire as the attackers withdrew.
One of Blue’s rounds hit Francis “Frankie” Hughes in the leg. Hughes, then 22 and already the IRA’s most wanted man according to police, survived the encounter only to be arrested the following day and later die as the second IRA hunger striker in the Maze prison in 1981.
Richard Williams, a former commanding officer of 22 SAS, offered a stark reflection on the nature of the conflict. “The currency of war is death,” he stated. “It’s the only human exchange where death has a value. You defeat your enemy by destroying his courage, and you destroy his courage by killing his forces.” He criticised politicians who, he said, have betrayed the military covenant by backing legislation that risks “punishment by process” for former soldiers. “We’ve got these new laws, so we’re going to try and [play] gotcha using those new laws relating to something you did – directed by us politicians – against those that were trying to kill your politicians and your citizens, 30, 40 years ago,” Williams added.
The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, introduced in 2025, repeals an earlier Conservative measure that placed time limits on legacy prosecutions involving the military and militant groups. Veterans argue that the bill opens the door to retrospective investigations that could undermine the assurances given to those who served during the conflict.
Why it Matters
The decision of these SAS veterans to speak out now provides a vital, first‑hand perspective on some of the most contentious episodes of the Northern Ireland Troubles, while also highlighting the immediate legal anxieties created by the Troubles Bill. Their testimonies could shape public understanding of state actions during the conflict, influence ongoing debates about accountability and reconciliation, and potentially affect how future legislation balances historical justice with the protection of former service personnel. In a period when Northern Ireland continues to grapple with its past, these accounts serve as both a historical record and a cautionary tale about the long reach of wartime decisions.
