The Australian prime minister has regretted war crime allegations against his country’s troops in Afghanistan as disturbing.
Scott Morrison, however, said in an interview that his administration had no plans to considering recompense for the victims and their relatives.
Conducted by Major General Paul Brereton, the report confirmed Australian special forces could have killed 39 Afghan civilians or prisoners.
Morrison told SBS News the alleged war crimes detailed in the report was “disturbing” and “distressing”
Afghan forces and Australian Special Forces Group conducted a deliberate operation to clear a Taliban stronghold in the Shah Wali Kot district of southern Kandahar province.
The war crime allegations must be dealt with by the Australian justice system rather than the government, the prime minister argued.
“We ensured that between the time of the receipt of the report and the announcement of the findings, we engaged a lot with our overseas partners.
“There are always risks out there, and it’s always important Australia stays on the front foot to get ahead of these risks.”