The Australian government has admitted after a four-year investigation that Australian soldiers stationed in Afghanistan have killed at least 39 people, including prisoners, farmers and civilians.
The inquiry, launched in 2016 following Australian media reports of war crimes by coalition troops in Afghanistan, concluded this week and released its final report today.
The inquiry, led by New South Wales Supreme Court Justice Paul Brereton, involved 423 witness interviews over a four-year period, while more than 20,000 documents and nearly 25,000 photographs were analysed.
The head of the Australian army, General Agnes Campbell, while detailing the investigation, admitted the war crimes committed by her soldiers and apologized unconditionally to the Afghan people. He said that the Australian personnel of the “Special Air Service Regiment” deployed in Afghanistan were found to be the most involved in war crimes.
Inspector-General of the Australian Defense Force, James Gaynor, also told the media that all these crimes were committed in “non-combat conditions” which are illegal and inhumane in every respect. He said that apart from killing civilians and detained prisoners, there are serious allegations against the Australian forces such as mistreatment of the Afghan people, rudeness and brutality. However, it is not clear whether these allegations will be investigated or not.
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