British SAS soldiers arrested for murdering teens while hunting Islamic State terrorists 'sent back to Syria'

As they were carrying out the daring midnight raid, the soldiers heard alleged gunfire as they were pursing their target through a Syrian field.

The troops are said to have come face-to-face with two teenage boys who refused to surrender after being told to do so.

Following their refusal, the soldiers deemed the pair to be a credible threat and subsequently eliminated them, The Sunday Times reports.

It later came to light the two teenagers were jihadi terrorists who had been working for the Islamic State.

The five SAS troops were later accused of using "disproportionate force" after the youngsters were not found to be carrying weapons at the time of their deaths.

A military police investigation, dubbed Operation Tanglement, was launched into the servicemen's actions.

Shortly after the mission, raids were carried out on undisclosed bases across Syria, Iraq and Britain. The five soldiers were then arrested on suspicion of double murder.

Despite the said probe remaining open, the men were released just 48 hours after questioning and were expecting to continue their service in Syria.

The elite fighters subsequently spent the next three years under investigation, facing the prospect of spending the rest of their lives behind bars.

Despite the ongoing probe, the troops still carried out several missions on behalf of the British state, including jumping out of helicopters to capture targets.

One of the elite troops said they felt as if they were treated akin to a “member of a criminal organisation”, despite continuing to risk their lives in the line of duty.

All five of the soldiers – who have since left the Armed Forces – wrote to then-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer about the unlawfulness of their arrests, but their letters appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.

The enquiry into the men's actions has had catastrophic consequences on the elite unit, according to leaked documents and witness accounts.

The soldier's witness statements noted the killing of the young jihadists had led to an SAS "shooting incident review", which found the troops had acted in self-defence.

However, this recommendation was subsequently rejected by Sir Gwyn Jenkins, the current head of the Royal Navy and former Director Special Forces, who referred the men to the military police.

The Special Investigation Branch then launched an investigation into the SAS troops after reports in Syria claimed the young terrorists were civilians.

Investigators claimed the men had used “disproportionate force” because the teenagers had been “unarmed at the time of their deaths and could not have posed an imminent threat to life”.

The troops insisted they had been justified in exercising their right to self-defence and maintained their innocence throughout the investigation.

Wes Streeting is yet to hold talks with the soldiers or their legal representatives to discuss the probe.

Yet on Friday, the Defence Secretary penned a letter to the Defence Serious Crime Unit, asking it to “consider the concerns raised in the handling of the Service Police investigation”.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “Our personnel are respected worldwide for their professionalism and dedication, and they make extraordinary sacrifices in defence of the nation.

“They are also entitled to expect that any investigation is conducted fairly and professionally and rightly there are procedures in place for people to report concerns.”