Five UK marines charged with murder in Afghan death

Five Royal Marines have been charged with murder over a death in Afghanistan last year, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said on Sunday. They are the first British troops to be charged with murder in the country since deployments began in 2001. The five are among nine marines arrested – seven on Thursday and two in the last 48 hours. Four have been released without charge. Officials have said the incident involved an “engagement with an insurgent” in Helmand province, where the majority of Britain’s 9,500 troops in Afghanistan are deployed. They say no civilians were involved. The BBC and other outlets reported that the arrests stemmed from video footage found on the laptop of a British serviceman who had been arrested in Britain on an unrelated charge. The Ministry of Defense said the cases had been referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority, which oversees military trials. The ministry said the suspects, who have not been named, were in custody.