Australian authorities announced today that they have arrested a former soldier for allegedly killing Afghan civilians. The former soldier is accused of such crimes while he was in Afghanistan as part of a military operation, in which Australian military forces also participated.

Australian Federal Police expect the 41-year-old man to be charged in an Australian court with one count of war crimes, which carries a life sentence. This is the first time an active or former member of the Australian Defense Force has faced such charges, it said.Reuters".

A four-year investigation revealed Australian special forces allegedly killed 39 unarmed prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan, and senior commandos allegedly forced junior soldiers to kill defenseless prisoners to train them for combat.

Following the report's recommendations, the cases of 19 current and former members of the Australian military have been referred to a special investigator to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute. More than 39.000 Australian troops have served in Afghanistan and 41 have died.

Australia was part of the NATO-led international force that trained Afghan security forces and fought the Taliban for two decades after Western-backed forces toppled the Islamist militants in 2001.