The British press isn’t taking away from U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle’s sniper abilities, but it is reporting that he’s not the world’s deadliest.
That label goes to a Royal Navy Marine corporal said to have 173 confirmed kills in Afghanistan and Iraq, a British tabloid reported.
Kyle, who was the subject of the Clint Eastwood-directed box-office smash “American Sniper,” is credited with 160 confirmed kills.
The identity of the British sniper was not released, but his reported kill numbers were first reported in The Sun, which cited sources as saying the 173 figure is actually a conservative estimate.
The British sniper is reportedly a married father of two who moved back to England after more than 10 years of service.
“He will never talk about it unless he is challenged directly, then he is never boastful of what has happened,” a source told The Sun. “But he is not ashamed either.”
The Sun also cited a source as saying the sniper “took no satisfaction in the job he had to do.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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