Every effort must be made to stop the legal system being abused over allegations of serious misconduct by UK troops, Theresa May has said.
The PM told defence chiefs she is determined to stop “vexatious” claims being brought against the armed forces.
Two separate inquiries are examining about 2,000 allegations against troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
An MoD source said steps were being taken to prevent spurious complaints and reduce the number of cases.
Former soldiers have claimed they have been hounded through the courts on unfounded claims and there are growing calls for Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT), which investigates claims of murder and abuse by British soldiers in Iraq, to be shut down.
Mrs May raised the issue during her 90-minute meeting with Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the heads of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, and senior civil servants.
She also discussed the fight against so-called Islamic State, also referred to as Daesh, and the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.
Debt of gratitude
Mrs May said: “The men and women of our armed forces do an incredible job, often making huge sacrifices to keep us safe.
“Whether taking the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria, helping to tackle the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean or providing flood relief at home – we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
“Our armed forces are the best in the world and with the biggest defence budget in Europe and the second biggest in Nato we will continue to play our part on the world stage, protecting UK interests across the globe.”
MP Johnny Mercer, a member of the Commons Defence Select Committee who is heading an investigation into IHAT, branded the legal pursuit of troops “a national disgrace” and called for the team to be axed.
Established in November 2010, IHAT was set up to investigate allegations of murder, abuse and torture of Iraqi civilians by UK military personnel between 2003 and 2009.
The claims range from ill treatment during detention to assault and death by shooting.
The team has considered at least 1,514 possible victims – of whom 280 are alleged to have been unlawfully killed.
Earlier in the year, former Prime Minister David Cameron also voiced an intent to stamp out what he described as “spurious” legal claims against British troops.
Meanwhile, an independent policing unit set up to investigate alleged war crimes by UK troops in Afghanistan has received about 600 complaints.
The Ministry of Defence said 150 people had made claims of ill-treatment place between 2005 and 2013.
It said any “credible claims” of criminal activity should be investigated.
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