Images of special forces members posted on Facebook is now being investigated by the Ministry of Defence. The photos purportedly show the elite members of the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) in Iraq and Afghanistan. The SAS is a special forces unit of the British Army. The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The troops appear to be in front line operations. The Facebook page states: “This is a page dedicated to one of the finest special forces in the world – The SAS or Special Air Service. These highly trained elite warriors have been around since world war two… hope you like the page.”

The images shown below-with the soldier’s faces blacked out-are in violation of rules that prevent special forces troops from revealing their operational details. The images are purportedly of the 18 Signals Regiment, which provides the SAS and SBS communications. The photographs appear to show the special forces troops in a new style of combat gear and carrying Colt Commando assault rifles. It is not clear who posted the photographs.

“We are aware of an incident involving soldiers sharing images online. We expect the highest standards of behaviour from our personnel at all times, whether on or off duty.” a spokesman said.