The UK special forces are at the centre of an inquiry into allegations of unlawful activity in Afghanistan, the defence secretary has confirmed.

An independent inquiry, commissioned by Ben Wallace last December, is set to focus on alleged illegal activity by British armed forces in the war-torn nation between 2010 and 2013.

The probe will also look at allegations that the Royal Military Police’s investigation of reported unlawful killings by special forces was inadequate.

In a short statement, Mr Wallace said: “It is right that the Ministry of Defence continues to balance the requirement to be as open and transparent as possible against national security considerations.

“The inquiry is now reaching the stage of substantive hearings, and I can confirm that the allegations relate to the conduct of UK special forces.

“This confirmation is made in the exceptional circumstances of this inquiry, where the activities of this organisation are the central focus of the inquiry’s investigation, as set out in its terms of reference.

“Outside of this very specific context, such confirmation should not be seen to alter the longstanding position of this government, and previous governments, to not comment on the deployment or activities of the UK special forces.”

Two RMP investigations, codenamed Operation Northmoor and Operation Cestro, are set to be scrutinised by the probe.

No charges were brought under Operation Northmoor, a £10 million investigation which was set up in 2014 to examine allegations of executions by special forces.

Operation Cestro saw three soldiers referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority, but none was prosecuted.

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The inquiry is set to look at allegations that “numerous” killings were carried out, the alleged cover-up of illegal activity and inadequate investigations by the RMP.

At the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, the inquiry’s chairman, Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, said he recently visited the office of the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Arguments from the MoD and the RMP for restriction orders to be placed over some of the evidence submitted to the inquiry are being presented at a two-day hearing.

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