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The 29-year-old volunteered to complete a botched joint British and Afghan special forces operation into a pitch-black cave Afghan soldiers refused to enter.

The SAS had previously attacked a base believed to be the hideout of several terrorists, including a senior Taliban commander.

Although the attack was successful, a key target escaped to hide in a cave complex.

But the un-named sergeant, an Iraq veteran from the Midlands, crawled into the dark and narrow cave, relying only on his senses of smell, touch and sound to kill the men.

The tunnels he descended into, holding just a hammer and his Glock 9mm pistol, were less than two feet wide and four feet high.