A coroner’s inquest has ruled that the use of lethal force by SAS soldiers in the 1992 ambush and killing of four IRA men in Clonoe, County Tyrone, was unjustified.
The decision casts serious doubt on the legality of British military operations during the Troubles and highlights ongoing concerns over accountability for past actions.
The four men – Kevin Barry O’Donnell (21), Sean O’Farrell (22), Peter Clancy (21), and Patrick Vincent (20) – were shot dead by SAS soldiers on 16 February 1992, moments after attacking Coalisland police station with a heavy machine gun. The men arrived in a hijacked lorry at St Patrick’s Church car park, where British intelligence had anticipated their movements. Twelve SAS soldiers were concealed in a hedgerow, awaiting their arrival.
Despite the IRA unit being heavily armed, the coroner, Mr Justice Michael Humphreys, concluded that the SAS soldiers did not act in a manner that sought to minimise the use of lethal force. The inquest found that the SAS opened fire immediately upon the lorry’s arrival, discharging over 500 rounds without warning. Two of the men, O’Donnell and O’Farrell, were shot in the back while attempting to flee and had additional shots fired into their faces as they lay incapacitated.
The four men – Kevin Barry O’Donnell (21), Sean O’Farrell (22), Peter Clancy (21), and Patrick Vincent (20) – were shot dead by SAS soldiers on 16 February 1992, moments after attacking Coalisland police station with a heavy machine gun. The men arrived in a hijacked lorry at St Patrick’s Church car park, where British intelligence had anticipated their movements. Twelve SAS soldiers were concealed in a hedgerow, awaiting their arrival.
Despite the IRA unit being heavily armed, the coroner, Mr Justice Michael Humphreys, concluded that the SAS soldiers did not act in a manner that sought to minimise the use of lethal force. The inquest found that the SAS opened fire immediately upon the lorry’s arrival, discharging over 500 rounds without warning. Two of the men, O’Donnell and O’Farrell, were shot in the back while attempting to flee and had additional shots fired into their faces as they lay incapacitated.
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