Robert Jenrick’s controversial comments about British troops killing terrorists rather than capturing them “risks making life much more dangerous for our soldiers”, a leadership rival has warned.

The former immigration minister said military chiefs said the European Convention on Human Rights is forcing them to “make decisions which they might not ordinarily make”.

Mr Jenrick was heavily criticised by his leadership rivals, with James Cleverly declaring “our military do not murder people.

But the frontrunner in the race to replace Rishi Sunak defended as “absolutely correct” his assertion that the British military is taking lethal action because of fears that European laws would free any detained assailants.

Former soldier Tom Tugendhat – who also wants to be the next Conservative leader – said when asked if he agreed with the comments: “No, I don’t, and I’m afraid I’m extremely concerned about the use of language that suggests that it is appropriate to resist arrest and not surrender to British Armed Forces when you are asked to do so.

“That risks making life much more dangerous for our soldiers.

“I also think it is inappropriate to comment about Special Forces operations.”

James Cleverly said that the UK military does not “murder people” and that Robert Jenrick should justify his claims that special forces are killing rather than capturing terrorists.

The shadow home secretary was asked if he agreed with his competitor in the Tory leadership race Mr Jenrick that the SAS kill rather than capture terrorists, because otherwise, under EU law, they would be freed.

Mr Cleverly told Sky News: “You’re going to have to ask Robert to justify that statement. That’s not something which I have heard.

“That’s not something which I’m comfortable kind of repeating.

“As I say, if Robert is able to justify that I think he should.

“The British military always abide by international humanitarian law, the law of armed conflict.

“We have, I was about to say some of the most, no, we have the most professional military in the world. Our military do not murder people.”

Asked on Tuesday whether he could back up the claim, he insisted he could not “elaborate on particular cases” and instead cited comments made by ex-defence secretary Ben Wallace to the Telegraph.

Mr Wallace told the newspaper last year that Britain was unable to render people across borders, meaning “we are more often than not forced into taking lethal action (rather) than actually raiding and detaining”.

Mr Jenrick told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “As Ben Wallace has said in that (Telegraph) interview, decision-makers are being asked to make decisions which they might not ordinarily make – for example, to call in a drone strike and take lethal action in that way.”

It was put to the former immigration minister that he is unable to back up his claim, to which he replied: “Of course I’m not going to elaborate on particular cases because these things, these cases are not things that any minister or foreign minister can speak about.”

He denied he could have chosen his words more carefully, insisting “the point I was making was absolutely correct”.

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is “forcing decision-makers to make decisions which they might not ordinarily make,” he suggested.

Mr Jenrick drew condemnation from across the political divide over his statement in a promotional video for his leadership bid that special forces are “killing rather than capturing terrorists because our lawyers tell us that if they are caught the European court will set them free”.

Former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve described the clip as “one of the most astonishing videos I have ever seen posted by a Conservative MP, let alone a candidate for the leadership”.