SAS Team Kills IRA Bombers in Gibraltar

SAS Team Kills IRA Bombers in Gibraltar

1988 saw one of the most controversial operations for the Special Air Service Regiment. This incident would lead to endless debates on the use of soldiers abroad in intelligence and even "assassination" roles against acknowledged terrorists. A well documented Provisional IRA man named Sean Savage had been identified and located in Spain in the fall of 1987, along with Daniel McCann who was a dangerous active member of the IRA. Early the following year an MI5 intelligence gathering team was authorized to operate in Gibraltar and follow up on the two IRA men. The experts in the intelligence community assumed that the terrorist target was to be of a military nature, likely the military band that played in front of the Governors residence during the ceremonial changing of the guard. Information had come to light at this time that the IRA bomb-makers had perfected a remote control detonating device that was small and reliable, and would not need to be out in the open.

On March 4th, the two IRA men arrived in Gibraltar by plane, and they were not alone. The third member of their party was Mairead Farrell, a woman with many terrorist offenses to her credit who was from a middle class family and convent school educated! These were pros and indeed something serious must have been afoot for the IRA to use three of its top terror experts. They were not on vacation by any means!

The Spanish police were brought into the intelligence net, and were detailed to follow the terrorists, keeping close tabs on them, noting all details of their activities. The Spanish Police lost them immediately, throwing the operation into turmoil. The police were even known to have been showing photos of the dead terrorists at hotels to continue the search for them three days after they were shot and killed! Two days prior to the team arriving, a woman was known to have scouted the band positions on several occasions, alerting the officials to an imminent operation in Gibraltar. The JOC authorized the deployment of a sixteen man troop of SAS, including an explosives expert, to Gibraltar immediately. The SAS arrived the day before the IRA team.

Operation "Favius" was under way. The Gibraltar Police Commissioner Joseph Canepa briefed the SAS and Police involved in the operation. The SAS were told the operation was to arrest the IRA terrorists, disarm them and defuse the bomb, which was assumed to be a car bomb and was to be parked near to the site where the band played. It was stressed to the SAS men that the bomb would be detonated by remote control. These assumptions, as well as the certainty that the terrorists would be armed turned out to be wrong.

In the afternoon of March 6th, surveillance personnel, including two pairs of SAS operatives were deployed around the town. They were dressed casually in jeans and windbreakers and armed with a Browning Hi Power 9mm pistol, tucked into the waistband of their pants. Lapel microphones were utilized to stay in contact. Those responsible for awaiting the terrorists at the ambush site were ready. Sean Savage was observed approaching a small white car parked in the square where the band was to set up. He opened the car door and made some movements like he was adjusting something within the car. This was the end for him. He hung about the car as Farrell and McCann were seen walking into town from the Spanish border post. The SAS explosives expert was tasked with examining the car, and suspected it was booby-trapped. The car was new, but had a rusty radio antennae, indicating that all was not as it appeared. On suspicion that the car contained a bomb, Canepa signed over the operation to the military. The terrorists were observed to walk back toward the Spanish border and they were followed by the four SAS soldiers. Savage unexpectedly separated from the group and walked back towards the town. Their SAS tail split into two pairs and one pair followed Savage while the other stuck with Farrell and McCann. A police siren caused the three IRA to become visibly nervous. McCann turned his head and looked straight into the eyes of one of the soldiers tailing her. The soldier later stated that he was about to shout a challenge when McCann moved his hand across his body, and was thought to be reaching for the detonator. The soldier drew his pistol and fired, striking McCann in the back and observed Farrell reach for her bag, causing him to shoot her once. He then fired again at McCann, and the second soldier fired at both terrorists as well.

Hearing the shots, Savage spun around and one of the soldiers following him shouted "Stop!" As he did, he noticed Savage make a move towards his pocket, and both soldiers opened fire. At 4:06pm the SAS officer in charge turned over control of the operation to the police.

The operation at first appeared to be a complete success, as three notorious IRA had been caught in the act of planting a bomb which could possibly have killed hundreds of innocents, had been eliminated. The mistakes that came to light were that the white car did not contain a bomb and the terrorists were unarmed. The bomb was discovered the next day in a car in a parking lot in Marbella. The SAS came under fire, accused of being Licensed to kill, and the affair turned into propaganda for the IRA. After a two week inquest the SAS were cleared of any wrong doing, however the stigma attached by leftist groups shadowed the Regiment for some time.

It should be pointed out that some experts on counter-terrorism believe that the only way to handle a terrorist is to kill him, thus preventing such actions as hijackings and hostage takings to gain his release. If and when a terrorist is released, he becomes a threat again, often reverting back to savage atrocities that their code condones. Terrorists have no moral dilemma regarding killing soldiers, police and civilians, and thus give up any right to appeal to the same laws which govern the rest of us. Terrorism causes much further damage than just the lives of the innocent being lost; it make otherwise free societies prisons. The elimination of terrorists by soldiers or police ensures that future terrorists will know that their chosen profession will likely lead to a violent end as counter-terrorist units become ever more proficient at their jobs.