U.N. calls for inquiry into deadly US strike in Iraq

By Ross Colvin

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United Nations mission in Iraq urged U.S. forces on Friday to pursue a "vigorous" probe into an air strike that killed 15 women and children and said its findings must be made public so that lessons can be learned.

It said the safety of civilians should be a top priority during military operations. In a human rights report published on Thursday, the same day as the attack, the mission highlighted the number of Iraqi civilians killed in recent U.S. air strikes.

The civilian death toll in Thursday's operation was one of the largest acknowledged by U.S. forces from an air strike since former president Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003.

"Civilians are getting caught far too often between warring combatants," said U.N. mission spokesman Said Arikat. "We understand the security concerns, but we also hope that every possible safety measure is taken not to harm any civilians.

The U.S. military said it was conducting a "thorough investigation" into the strike by its attack helicopters on a suspected meeting of senior al Qaeda leaders north of Baghdad on Thursday that killed nine children, six women and 19 insurgents.

"In every instance we take as many precautions as possible to ensure innocent lives are not at risk," military spokesman Rear Admiral Greg Smith said.

"We are committed to working with affected families and taking care of their needs."

The U.S. military says insurgents often deliberately hide among civilians and previous air strikes on suspected militant hideouts have resulted in civilian deaths.