CANBERRA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed it is investigating war crimes allegedly committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.
The AFP on Friday confirmed that officers have travelled to Afghanistan as part of the investigation.
It marked the first time for Australian authorities to travel overseas to investigate alleged war crimes involving Australian soldiers.
"In June 2018, the Australian Federal Police 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.
Nine Entertainment newspapers reported on Friday that the AFP investigators have questioned witnesses to the incident.
They also attained signed statements on the incident from Special Air Service (SAS) members and support staff.
New South Wales (NSW) Supreme Court Justice and Major General Paul Brereton also sent investigators to Afghanistan in a separate fact-finding mission.
