Police raid Australian public broadcaster over Afghan leak

In this image made from video, Australia's Federal Police, top, enter the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster, during a raid on their offices in Sydney, Australia. The Federal Police raided the offices in connection to a 2017 story based on leaked military documents that indicated the country’s military forces were being investigated for some of their actions in Afghanistan. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation via AP)

SYDNEY – Australia's Federal Police have raided the offices of the national public broadcaster in connection to a 2017 story based on leaked military documents that indicated the country's military forces were being investigated for some of their actions in Afghanistan.

Police said they executed a search warrant Wednesday at the Sydney offices of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation based on a 2-year-old complaint by the then secretary of defense that the broadcaster published classified material.

Australian law forbids officials from disclosing secret information, and the police warrant was based on a law enacted in 1914.

ABC described the raid as a "serious development" relating to the freedom of the press. It was the second such raid against a media company in two days.

ABC is a client of The Associated Press.