The head of a special team investigating abuses by British soldiers in Iraq has said he's confident there will be sufficient evidence for prosecutions.

Mark Warwick, the head of the UK's 'Iraq Historic Allegations Team' (IHAT) says his investigators are obtaining significant evidence, which includes serious allegations of murder and unlawful killing.

"I feel there is significant evidence to be obtained to put a strong case before the Service Prosecuting Authority to prosecute and charge," Warwick said.

It now has a caseload of more than 1,500 victims, including 280 said to have been unlawfully killed by British forces.

But human rights lawyers are deeply concerned about how long the investigations are taking, and whether Warwick's confidence is justified.

They point out that since IHAT was set up in 2010, there have been no actual prosecutions as a result of its investigations.

PHOTO CAPTION

British Defense Minister Michael Fallon talks to British pilots and soldiers at RAF Akrotiri, a British air base in Cyprus, 05 December 2015.

Al-Jazeera