Probe launched into Australian war crimes in Afghanistan

Probe launched into Australian war crimes in Afghanistan

KABUL, Sept. 12, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Afghan army soldiers stand guard near the site of a bomb explosion in Chahar Asyab district of Kabul province, Afghanistan, Sept. 12, 2019. Four Afghan soldiers were killed and three others wounded in a suicide car bomb explosion outside Afghan army special forces

Canberra, Sep 20 (IANS) The Australian Federal Police (AFP) on Friday confirmed that it has launched a probe into war crimes allegedly committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.

The AFP said that officers have travelled to Afghanistan as part of the investigation, reports Xinhua news agency.

This marks the first time for the country's authorities to travel overseas to investigate alleged war crimes involving Australian soldiers.

"In June 2018, the AFP received a referral to investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Australian soldiers during the Afghanistan conflict. The AFP has accepted the matters for investigation," the AFP said in a statement to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

"As this investigation is ongoing, the AFP will not confirm or deny the specific incidents or the identity of those subject to the investigation."

In June 2018, the ABC published details of a 2012 raid by Australian special forces in the Afghan village of Darwan, in which three civilians were allegedly killed.

Villagers told the ABC that Ali Jan, a farmer, was handcuffed by the troops, kicked or thrown from the top of a wall and shot dead.

Two other unarmed detained men were also allegedly shot dead in a storage room.

According to the soldiers, a villager who was relaying the movements of Australian and Afghan soldiers to the Taliban was killed.

--IANS

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