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Soldier 'Played Dead' As Afghan Attacked

Inquest Verdict On Soldiers Killed By Afghan

A young British soldier has told an inquest how he lay still and "played dead" after being shot by an Afghan policeman who killed five of his colleagues.

Lance Corporal Liam Culverhouse said he decided "just to lay there, shut my eyes, and hold my breath" during the attack on their checkpoint in November 2009.

The British soldiers had been helping to mentor members of the Afghan National Police (ANP) in Nad e Ali and had returned from a joint patrol to the relative safety of their base when the shooting started.

LCpl Culverhouse said they had unloaded their weapons and taken off their body armour when an officer they had been helping to train, named only as Gulbuddin, opened fire on them with an AK47.

He said: "I saw a flash of red in my injured eye. Due to the nature of my injury I knew I'd been shot.

"I feel pain first, then my eye went all black, I was blinded straight away. I heard screams and swear words."

He said he could see Gulbuddin standing in front of him with his gun, wearing civilian clothes of pale dishdash - a traditional Arab robe - and Afghan hat rather than his usual police uniform.

LCpl Culverhouse had been sitting next to Sergeant Matthew Telford and Regimental Sergeant Major Darren Chant, both of whom were killed in the attack.

He said: "I saw Sgt Telford standing, with one arm back like he was going to punch him (Gulbuddin). After another burst of gunfire he then dropped to his knees."

The young soldier said Gulbuddin was screaming in what appeared to be a "war cry" and that he had frozen, unsure whether to approach him or run away.

He continued: "After he fired another burst at me I promptly decided it was time to get out of there."

LCpl Culverhouse was then shot at least twice more before deciding to lie still and pretend to be dead.

He said Gulbuddin came over to check on him before the gunfire changed in pitch as he headed into the accommodation block.

"All I could hear was gunfire, scream, gunfire, scream, gunshot," he said.

LCpl Culverhouse then lost consciousness before being woken by the sound of a Chinook helicopter arriving overhead.

RSM Chant, 40, Sgt Telford, 37, and Guardsman Jimmy Major, 18, from the Grenadier Guards, were killed in the attack alongside Corporal Steven Boote, 22, and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith, 24, from the Royal Military Police on November 3, 2009.

Their commanding officer, Lt Col Charles Walker told the inquest the five men were "the bravest of the brave".

He said: "It is a singular honour that I have had to have worked with them in Afghanistan. The foundations that they laid continue today.

"There is prosperity in that region now, and I have no doubt that is down to the work they did in those early days."

He said his thoughts were with the men's families, who have travelled to the coroner's court in Trowbridge for the inquest.

The hearing also heard evidence of drug abuse among the ANP, with the suspect Gulbuddin described as "one of the main cannabis culprits".

LCpl Culverhouse said he had seen him taking drugs on duty and that he may well have been under their influence at the time of the attack.