Heroic SAS trooper who battled terrorists in Kenyan hotel siege while off-duty finally reveals his identity.
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In previously published pictures, his features were hidden – either by clothing or the blurring of images – to protect his identity after he ended the terror siege on the hotel which left at least 21 people dead.
A recent image shows Craighead leading Kenyan security forces towards the luxury DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi in 2019 before storming the complex and defeating al-Shabaab terrorists.
He posted on Instagram: ‘I’m doing this earlier than I planned, but the actions of others have forced my hand into prematurely revealing my face.
‘This photo and others like it are becoming increasingly available, so I thought I should be the one to share the first with you.’
Senior defence officials have previously said they are concerned about the former soldier’s Instagram account.
Under strict rules, Special Forces troops must not discuss their missions in public or seek to ‘cash in’ on operations.
Craighead was awarded a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, a bravery medal second only to a Victoria Cross, for his response to the gun and grenade attack by the terrorists.
He had been stationed in Kenya to help train the nation’s soldiers and was off-duty when heavily armed jihadis from the al-Shabaab terror group seized the Dusit D2 luxury hotel complex, setting fire to vehicles, detonating explosions and embarking on a mass shooting.
In 2019, President personally thanked the former SAS soldier for his efforts in the siege.
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