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Australian military clears soldiers over Afghan civilian deaths

AFP - Monday, May 12

SYDNEY (AFP) - - The Australian military on Monday cleared its soldiers over the deaths of two women and a baby during a battle in Afghanistan but said all civilian casualties were "highly regrettable".

An internal inquiry had found no wrongdoing on the part of the Australian soldiers involved in the fighting in southern Uruzgan province last November, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie told a news conference.

The operation cost the life of an Australian soldier who died from a single gunshot to the head in what the inquiry determined was straightforward combat.

"Three civilians, two females and an infant child, were killed during the operation," Gillespie said.

"It has since been revealed that one of the deceased females was positively identified firing an AK-47 assault rifle at our forces during the engagement and was therefore re-categorised as an enemy combatant."

Gillespie said the baby was in one of the rooms from which the woman and two men were firing on Australian troops.

"That said, the death of civilians and non-combatants during any conflict is highly regrettable," he said.

The inquiry said the cause of death of the baby, which was under six months old, could not be determined because it had been buried quickly in keeping with Afghan custom.

The infant had no external injuries and could have died from internal injuries resulting from the concussion of exploding grenades, it said.

The inquiry found the deaths occurred after militants engaged Australian special operations troops from within a compound known to be occupied by civilians.

"It is clear that during this engagement the enemy chose to ignore commands to lie down, including commands in their own language," Gillespie said.

"And that the death of civilians during this action is therefore an unfortunate consequence of the enemies' choice to engage ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) troops from locations occupied by non-combatants."

The inquiry also cleared Australian troops of any mistreatment of Afghan detainees following the battle.

"What the investigations ... indicate is that our procedures and the conduct of our people is as we would hope as a nation it might be," Gillespie said.

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