An SAS dog handler who ran through gunfire to save his canine comrade is in line for a gallantry medal.
The sergeant carried the wounded animal 50 yards across open ground and stemmed its blood on a helicopter ride to a British base in Afghanistan.
A source said: “This was as heroic as it gets. There is an unbreakable bond between handlers and their dogs.”
The SAS was targeting 14 Taliban last year. The militants, reported to be executing locals who helped government troops, were in a compound south of Kabul.
Helicopters with up to 14 members of the SAS and Afghan commandos, together with the dog handler, landed close by and came under almost immediate attack.
The Belgian shepherd dog was sent in to flush out a sniper, following laser dots projected by its handler. The dog attacked the sniper, forcing him into the open – where he was shot dead. The animal was seeking out another target when it was hit.
The source said: “It was badly injured and bleeding profusely. The handler ran across, picked up the dog and carried him to a safe area. Once the target had been neutralised, the SAS withdrew and were picked up by the choppers.
“The dog was in a bad way, bleeding from gunshot or blast injuries. But he survived and was sent back to the UK.”
The MoD does not comment on the SAS.
