The Independent on Friday published news of seven Royal marines being arrested for the suspected murder of an Afghan insurgent.

From the paper:

"Seven Royal Marines have been arrested on suspicion of murder while serving in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence revealed last night.

"They are to be questioned about a suspected breach of the military's Rules of Engagement during contact with an insurgent.

"The arrests were made by the Royal Military Police and the investigation will be carried out under the terms of the Service Justice System which regulates how British standards of law are applied to military personnel serving abroad. It is the first time servicemen have been arrested on suspicion of such offences during the conflict.

"An internal review by the military will also be carried out, as is normal practice for when "any serious incident of this nature" takes place. The review will try to identify what went wrong and how such problems can be avoided. A MoD spokesman said: "The Royal Military Police have today arrested seven Royal Marines on suspicion of murder. The arrests relate to an incident in Afghanistan in 2011. The incident followed an engagement with an insurgent; there were no civilians involved.

"The investigation will now be taken forward and dealt with by the Service Justice system. These arrests demonstrate the Department and the Armed Forces' determination to ensure UK personnel act in accordance with their Rules of Engagement and our standards. It would be inappropriate to make any further comment while the investigation is under way."

The Royal Military Police were called on to investigate allegations against two British soldiers for sexually abusing Afghan minors  earlier this year.

UPDATE: The Telegraph reports that a total of nine Marines have now been arrested, five of them charged