Shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland

rdf:langString Shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland

rdf:langString InternetArchiveBot

rdf:langString February 2022

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rdf:langString During the period known as the Troubles in Northern Ireland (1969–1998), the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) were accused by Republicans of operating a "shoot-to-kill" policy, under which suspected paramilitaries were alleged to have been deliberately killed without any attempt to arrest them. Such a policy was alleged to have been directed almost exclusively at suspected or actual members of Irish republican paramilitary groups. The Special Air Service (SAS) is the most high-profile of the agencies that were accused of employing this policy, as well as other British Army regiments, and the RUC. Notable incidents alleging the use of the shoot-to-kill policy include the Loughgall ambush; Operation Flavius in Gibraltar; the Drumnakilly ambush; the Coagh ambush; the Clonoe ambush; and an incident in Strabane in which three IRA volunteers were shot dead. The SAS killed 24 Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) members at these locations. Other high-profile incidents involving alleged shoot-to-kill incidents occurred in Belfast, Londonderry, East and West Tyrone and South Armagh. The killing of Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) member Brian Robinson by undercover soldiers is notable for being the most prominent of the very few alleged "shoot-to-kill" incidents where the victim was a loyalist. Petty criminals were also shot. On 13 January 1990 an undercover unit shot dead three men who they believed were members of an IRA unit robbing a shop, but it was later discovered that they were ordinary criminals. Later that year soldiers from the Parachute Regiment shot three joyriders who passed through their checkpoint travelling at high speed, killing two teenagers; one of the soldiers, Lee Clegg, was tried over the shootings.