Allegations of war crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan are now the subject of a Federal Police investigation.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP), in a statement, said it received a referral in June and had launched its own investigation.
It follows an inquiry led by New South Wales Supreme Court Judge Paul Brereton, who is assisting the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to investigate the actions of Special Forces soldiers during the 12-year conflict.
It is unclear whether the Inspector-General or the Defence Force itself referred the war crimes allegations to the AFP.
"As this investigation is ongoing, the AFP will not confirm or deny the specific incidents or the identity of those subject to the investigation," an AFP spokesperson said.
"It is not appropriate for the AFP to provide further comment at this time."
Justice Brereton's investigation began in 2016 and is understood to have uncovered several incidents of possible unlawful killings.
His secretive and sweeping inquiry into Australia's elite troops, including the Special Air Services Regiment and Commando units, will consider possible breaches of the Geneva Convention.
The ABC has been told this process will not be completed before the end of the year due to the amount of evidence it has uncovered.
