THE official narrative of the event known as the Ballymurphy Massacre appeared to be overturned today as a British general in charge of operations acknowledged that most killed were not IRA members.

Families of the 10 people killed as British soldiers went on a three-day killing spree in West Belfast in August 1971 gathered in court to hear evidence from Sir Geoffrey Howlett.

The retired army general was commander of the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment, between 1971 and 1973 which was among those accused of going on the rampage in the Ballymurphy area.

Witnesses described how British soldiers shot round after round as people dropped to the floor, wounded and dying.

Those that came to help the injured were also shot. Nine men and one woman were killed in the assault.

The official line sought to smear the victims as “terrorists” with an operational note suggesting the attack inflicted “severe casualties” on the IRA.

Soldiers claimed, in a similar manner to that of Bloody Sunday the following year, that they were shot at first, which has been dismissed by the most credible witnesses.

Mr Howlett told the inquest that he had “enormous sympathy” for the Ballymurphy families and said: “I realise now that most, but not all, were not IRA.”

He confirmed that no solider was disciplined after the incident and no debrief took place, with the battalion taking a month’s leave shortly afterwards.

“We were too busy trying to get Belfast back to normal,” he said.

The Ballymurphy Massacre took place after the introduction of internment in the north of Ireland, meaning suspected terrorists could be held indefinitely without charge.

“The situation was never the same again, life was difficult,” he told the court as he claimed the regiment were regularly fired upon.

“Following internment there had become an enemy out there who were definitely armed and firing at us.”

He said that six of those gunned down in Springfield Park — Joan Connolly, Noel Phillips, Danny Teggart, Joseph Murphy, Father Mullan and Frank Quinn — were unarmed and had not been firing at soldiers. 

Families of those killed told the press that they were happy that for the first time in nearly 50 years the truth has been told and the official version of events has been overturned.

The hearing comes days before the announcement of a decision on whether soldiers who shot dead unarmed innocent civilians in Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972 will face criminal charges.