Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Politics

UK PM apologises 'unreservedly' for 1971 Belfast killings

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during the weekly question time debate in Parliament in London, Britain, May 12, 2021, in this screen grab taken from video. Reuters TV via REUTERS

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday apologised "unreservedly" on behalf of the British government for the deaths of 10 innocent people killed in a 1971 incident in Belfast, most at the hands of the British Army.

A judge-led inquiry on Tuesday found that British soldiers unjustifiably shot or used disproportionate force in the deaths of nine of the 10 innocent people killed in the incident, which sparked an upsurge of violence during Northern Ireland's "Troubles."

"The Prime Minister apologised unreservedly on behalf of the UK Government for the events that took place in Ballymurphy and the huge anguish that the lengthy pursuit of truth has caused the families of those killed," a spokesman for Johnson said.

(Reporting by Conor Humphries. Editing by Andrew MacAskill)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.