A young Sydney man who was killed in January while fighting with extremist organisations in Syria was an Australian soldier who went absent without leave more than three years ago.
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Caner Temel, 22, from Auburn, was a member of the group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) when he was killed after travelling to Syria to fight in the country's civil war.
An Australian Defence Force (ADF) spokesperson told Fairfax Media that Mr Temel joined the Australian Army in February 2009 and was discharged in September 2010.
The Daily Telegraph reported that he was based in a unit from Enogerra Barracks in Brisbane's north and received basic training before going AWOL.
"Mr Temel was not a member of the ADF at the time he was alleged to have been killed in Syria in January 2014," the Defence spokesperson said.
The case is believed to have been raised at a meeting with the Prime Minister's National Security Council on Tuesday.
Mr Temel was the third Sydneysider to have died fighting on the frontline only days after the deaths of another recruited couple Yusuf and Amira Ali in January.
Fairfax Media revealed Mr Ali was one of six men allegedly sent to Syria by Hamdi Alqudsi, 39, to fight with terrorist organisations.
Police alleged that Mr Alqudsi, a disability pensioner, recruited and helped Mr Ali and Mr Temel to go to Syria.
Mr Alqudsi was charged in December with recruiting, funding and organising for the men to travel to Syria to fight with Jabhat al-Nusra and other al-Qaeda affiliates.
"Our real concern is getting a handle on the number of people going," AFP Deputy Commissioner Peter Drennan said at the time.
- with Alexandra Back
