An independent review will investigate a number of troubling stories about the conduct of Australia's elite special forces in Afghanistan, the Chief of Army says.
Lieutenant-General Angus Campbell said a "range of unsubstantiated, third-person, hearsay stories" warranted "deeper consideration, but independently", according to Fairfax Media.
Inspector General of the ADF, former naval officer Geoff Earley, will reportedly lead the investigation.
General Campbell has not said whether the claims included unlawful killings, but Fairfax reported that military sources indicated the stories involved fatalities.
The review of special operations, including the famed Special Air Service Regiment, is said to focus on claims about incidents on overseas operations going back 15 years.
It is the first broad review of special forces since 2001 when the current command structure was established.
A number of high-profile incidents remains outstanding, including the April 2013 incident in which SAS soldiers removed the hands of dead Taliban fighters for identification purposes.