On Friday, Australia’s army head said that 13 special forces soldiers faced dismissal in relation to a report on alleged unlawful killings in Afghanistan.
Last week, an independent report published in redacted form said there was evidence that 39 unarmed Afghan prisoners and civilians were killed by 19 Australian soldiers.
None of the 19 soldiers were 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.
Under mounting pressure, Lieutenant General Rick Burr, the head of the Australian army, said 13 current soldiers have been issued with notices that could eventually lead to their termination.
Burr did not identify any of the 13 soldiers, but said they were not part of the 19 current and former soldiers who face possible criminal charges. He said the 13 soldiers that face dismissal have two weeks to respond to the notice.
Burr told reporters in Canberra: “At this time, 13 individuals have been issued administrative action notices in relation to the Afghanistan inquiry.”
He said: “We are all committed to learning from the inquiry and emerging from this a stronger, more capable and effective army.”
Australia’s most senior military official apologized to Afghanistan last week after the release of the report.
