Insider attack threat 'high' before soldiers murdered

A HIGH threat of insider attack was reported just two hours before Lance Corporal Sejepan Milosevic, Sapper James Martin and Prive Robert Poate were murdered.

AN INTELLIGENCE report completed two hours before a rogue Afghan soldier murdered three Australian troops declared the insider attack threat was high.

The coronial inquest into the murder of Australian soldiers Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic, Sapper James Martin and Private Robert Poate heard from intelligence officer Corporal Samuel Mathieson who completed a threat assessment on the night of the attack.

Cpl Mathieson said he finished a base threat assessment off a photograph of Patrol Base Wahab, where the three were killed in August 2012.

He told the coroner he believed insider attack was a high risk as Australian and Afghan soldiers could not be separated in the base.

Cpl Mathieson said he had not received an update from the platoon at the base which he admitted was surprising in hindsight.

Presented with a classified document regarding a fatwa, Cpl Mathieson said he had not been given it at the time but was aware a religious decree had been issued.

Counsel assisting coroner Dr Anthony Maranac said Cpl Mathieson did all he could "with utterly deficient information" to provide appropriate intelligence at the time.

- APN NEWSDESK