Australia to dismiss at least 10 soldiers over Afghan killings

An independent report found 39 unarmed Afghan prisoners and civilians were killed by 19 Australian soldiers

Australian SAS Soldiers on patrol near Bagram Afghanistan. Getty

Australia has issued termination notices to at least 10 special forces soldiers after the release of a report that found credible evidence of unlawful killings in Afghanistan, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said on Thursday.

An independent report published last week in redacted form after an inquiry into the conduct of special forces personnel in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016, found that senior commandos forced junior soldiers to kill defenceless captives in order to "blood" them for combat.

It said there was evidence that 39 unarmed Afghan prisoners and civilians were killed by 19 Australian soldiers.

None of the 19 soldiers was identified in the report, which was written by a state judge appointed by the inspector-general of defence. The 19 current and former soldiers have been referred for possible prosecution.

Australia sent troops to join US-led forces that tried to defeat the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan in the years after the extremists were forced from power in 2001.

Amid the immediate fallout, the ABC said 10 soldiers had been formally notified that they would be dismissed.

The broadcaster did not identify any of the 10 but said all of them were witnesses or accessories and therefore not among the 19 referred for possible criminal charges.

The Department of Defence did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The ABC said the 10 soldiers would have at least 14 days to respond to the termination notices. It did not say if any of them had legal representation.

Australia's most senior military official said on Sunday the country's defence force must 'own' a recent report on soldiers committing crimes in Afghanistan and pledged changes to ensure that atrocities do not happen again.

"I want the ADF (Australia Defence Force) to acknowledge that this is something we've got to own because if we don't own it, we won't fix it and if we don't fix it, this horror may appear again and I just cannot accept that," Defence Force Chief General Angus Campbell told ABC television.

"I see layers of responsibility here," Gen Campbell said. "I'm determined to see deep, comprehensive and enduring change where it is needed."