Australian soldiers at the Tarin Kowt military base in Uruzgan province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan in 2007. Photo / Musadeq Sadeq, AP, File
An Afghan army deserter who murdered three Australian soldiers had been released from custody in Qatar and his whereabouts were not known, officials said on Monday.
The soldier known as Hekmatullah fled after shooting dead the Australian soldiers and wounding two others on a base in 2012 and was sentenced
to death in 2013.
"The government's position has always been that Hekmatullah should serve a just and proportionate sentence, appropriate to his crimes, and not be granted early release or pardon," an Australian government statement said.
Defense Force Chief General Angus Campbell told a Senate committee the families of the soldiers were notified of Hekmatullah's release.
