AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after footage surfaced online of British soldiers shooting a picture of Jeremy Corbyn.
In the 28-second clip, initially posted on Snapchat, four uniformed soldiers can be seen firing army-issue weapons towards the far-end of a shooting range.
The camera then pans to reveal they have been firing at a photograph of the Labour Party leader and that the picture has been pierces by several rounds of ammunition.
A caption of “happy with that” features throughout the clip, which has been widely circulated on social media.
According to ITV, the incident took place in Kabul, Afghanistan and allegedly involved soldiers from the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment.
The soldiers involved reportedly obscured their "Drop Zone flashings" on their left shoulders to deliberately mask which parachute regiment they are in.
They also confirmed that a non-lethal hardened wax substance was used in the clip rather than live rounds of bullets.
It is unclear as to whether the soldiers were acting under official instructions or whether it was part of an unauthorised exercise.
British army launch investigation after "totally unacceptable" footage of soldiers shooting at a poster of Jeremy Corbyn emerges on social mediahttps://t.co/IQKjbxxz1I pic.twitter.com/l32PecJSLD
— ITV News (@itvnews) April 3, 2019
An Army spokesperson said: “We are aware of a video circulating on social media, this behaviour is totally unacceptable and falls well below the high standards the Army expects, a full investigation has been launched.”
The footage has been condemned by Labour and Conservative politicians alike.
Labour MP Jess Phillips tweeted: "This is absolutely hideous and irresponsible under this or any climate."
Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, a former lieutenant colonel who served with the army in Iraq and Afghanistan, branded the video "disgraceful".
Speaking to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire Rory Stewart, Conservative minister for prisons, said the soldiers’ actions were "completely wrong".
"They should not be political - they are there to defend the country and the Queen.”
