The US military is looking into a new allegation of prisoner abuse in Afghanistan, a spokesman said today.
Major Jon Siepmann declined to give details of the allegation but told reporters the investigation was being carried out by the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, which has responsibility for the US Marines, as well as the navy.
About 2,000 US Marines are on combat duty in Afghanistan.
"Because it is currently under investigation, we cannot provide any specific details regarding the allegation," Major Siepmann said.
"The coalition treats all such allegations seriously and will take appropriate action based on the outcome of the investigation," he said.
The US military says it has investigated five deaths of prisoners in Afghanistan since August 2002.
Last month a CIA contractor was arrested on charges of beating a detainee who died at a base in Afghanistan in 2003, the first charge in connection with prisoner abuse in the country.
The US-based right group Human Rights Watch has called abuse of detainees in Afghanistan "systemic", and criticised the US decision not to grant suspected militants prisoner-of-war status that would give them rights under the Geneva Conventions.