Afghan children were among “innocents” allegedly executed by British special forces during operations targeting Taliban militants, a public inquiry has been told.

The allegation is contained in redacted evidence from former soldiers heard by the inquiry into alleged extrajudicial killings by special forces in Afghanistan’s Helmand province between 2010 and 2013.

In evidence to the inquiry, the soldier said he understood from what he had been told that the unit may have operated a policy during DDO raids of killing “any man capable of picking up a weapon or any very young man capable of picking up a weapon”.

Asked whether this included youths “as young as 16”, he replied: “Or younger. One hundred percent.”

The soldier recalled that he had been told that weapons were sometimes placed alongside the bodies of people killed to give the impression that they had posed a threat when they were shot.