A former SAS captain and current Liberal MP says allegations of “unsanctioned and illegal” violence in the army must be taken seriously.

A leaked Defence report published in Fairfax Media claims some elite soldiers committed war crimes in Afghanistan, suggesting soldiers showed disregard for human life.

Member for Canning Andrew Hastie says he’s extremely troubled by the allegations and tells Mark Levy questions must be answered.

“I do find these allegations very troubling but I also believe that every single person who serves in uniform is ultimately accountable to the Australian people.

“If there are allegations and questions to answered then we must do so and we should do so quickly.”

An anonymous special forces insider also pointed to a “cover-up” culture within the army.

Mr Hastie says such claims also need to be confronted.

“If there are allegations of cover-ups they need to be answered as well.

“I think the best thing we can do is answer these allegations and put it to bed and move forward.”

The Member for Canning says Australians should be confident the SAS regiment is under strong leadership and the army is working to combat threats on the horizon.

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Photo: Department of Defence