Seven British Paras have been charged with the murder of an Iraqi civilian.
The men will face a court martial for a joint offence of murder and a second joint charge of violent disorder.
The charges relate to the death of Nadhem Abdullah following a roadside incident in May 2003 in Al U'Zayra in southern Iraq.
The seven soldiers were all members of the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment.
British Attorney General Lord Goldsmith named three of the men as Corporal Scott Evans, Private William Nerney and Daniel Harding, who has now left the army.
The other four men will be named when they have been informed of the charges against them. It is not known if they are still members of the regiment.
In a written statement to the House of Lords, Lord Goldsmith said no date had yet been set for the trial or for a preliminary hearing.
The announcement will be a major blow to the British government and the country's army, already reeling from the pictures of British troops allegedly abusing Iraqi looters.
Meanwhile, another British soldier has been charged with the murder of an Iraqi civilian in a separate incident. Trooper Kevin Williams, of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, will stand trial at the Old Bailey accused of killing a man in south eastern Iraq in August 2003.
PA