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Eight Iraqis have been arrested over the deaths of six Royal Military Police officers in 2003, the BBC has learned. The Red Caps were killed by a mob in the town of Majar al-Kabir in southern Iraq while they were on a routine operation to train local police.
An Army spokesman said a judge had indicated there was enough evidence for the suspects to face trial.
"We are assisting the Iraqi government in every way possible to secure convictions," he added.
The six Red Caps killed included Sgt Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, from Chessington, Surrey, and Cpl Russell Aston, 30 from Swadlincote, Derbyshire.
We should recognise that referral to trial does not inevitably lead to a conviction 
Army spokesman
Cpl Paul Long, 24, from Tyne and Wear, L/Cpl Benjamin McGowan Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, L/Cpl Tom Keys, 20, from Bala, North Wales, and Cpl Simon Miller, 21, from Tyne and Wear, also died.
Cpl Aston's father, Mike, told the BBC: "We are cock-a-hoop, quite honestly. Those alleged killers murdered our sons in cold blood and we owe it to our sons to see that justice is done."
L/Cpl Keys's father, Reg, also welcomed the news. "We know for a fact that shortly after the Red Caps were killed there were Iraqi witnesses coming forward," he told the BBC.
"They were disgusted - some of the town elders - by what had happened and they gave the names of the alleged killers to the investigating team shortly after the killings.
'Good news'
"We kept saying, 'You know who they are. We know who they are. For goodness sake, do something about it.'"
An Army spokesman said a judge had indicated there was enough evidence for the suspects to face trial.
"We are assisting the Iraqi government in every way possible to secure convictions," he added.
The six Red Caps killed included Sgt Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, from Chessington, Surrey, and Cpl Russell Aston, 30 from Swadlincote, Derbyshire.
We should recognise that referral to trial does not inevitably lead to a conviction Army spokesman
Cpl Paul Long, 24, from Tyne and Wear, L/Cpl Benjamin McGowan Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, L/Cpl Tom Keys, 20, from Bala, North Wales, and Cpl Simon Miller, 21, from Tyne and Wear, also died.
Cpl Aston's father, Mike, told the BBC: "We are cock-a-hoop, quite honestly. Those alleged killers murdered our sons in cold blood and we owe it to our sons to see that justice is done."
L/Cpl Keys's father, Reg, also welcomed the news. "We know for a fact that shortly after the Red Caps were killed there were Iraqi witnesses coming forward," he told the BBC.
"They were disgusted - some of the town elders - by what had happened and they gave the names of the alleged killers to the investigating team shortly after the killings.
'Good news'
"We kept saying, 'You know who they are. We know who they are. For goodness sake, do something about it.'"
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