WASHINGTON (AFP) - A United States (US) Marine officer will be court martialed for his alleged role in the scandal sparked by a video that showed soldiers urinating on the dead bodies of three Afghans, the Marine Corps said on Monday.

In a statement, the Corps said Captain James Clement "will be tried for dereliction of duty and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentlemen for failing to stop the misconduct of junior Marines".

He is accused of failing to prevent men under his command of desecrating the bodies of three Afghans, in a case that dates back to July 27, 2011, during an operation against the Taleban insurgency in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

The video of the soldiers, laughing as they posed over the bodies, went viral months later, sparking outrage around the world.

A few days later, a 21-year-old Afghan soldier opened fire on some French soldiers who were training Afghan troops, later saying it was in retaliation for the desecration.

Five French soldiers were killed and 15 wounded.

All five of the Marines belong to an elite unit of snipers. One, Staff Sergeant Joseph Chamblin, was jailed for 30 days, fined and demoted after pleading guilty to participating in the video.

Others involved in the case have faced administrative sanctions.