US kills 15 Iraqi women and children

Updated 08.04 Fri Oct 12 2007

Keywords: airstrikes, children, women, Iraq, US

At least 15 women and children have been killed during a US airstrike which was targeting suspected senior al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq.

US forces said 19 insurgents were killed in the operation in the Lake Thar Thar region, about 120km (75 miles) north of the capital, Baghdad.

"We regret that civilians were hurt or killed while coalition forces search to rid Iraq of terrorism" - Major Brad Leighton

Major Brad Leighton, a spokesman for US forces in Iraq, said: "We regret that civilians were hurt or killed while coalition forces search to rid Iraq of terrorism.

"These terrorists chose to deliberately place innocent Iraqi women and children in danger by their actions and presence."

Meanwhile, one child was killed and 13 were injured in a playground as they celebrated the Islamic festival of Eid in the northern Iraqi town of Tuz Khurmato.

Police Colonel Abbas Mohammed said a would-be suicide bomber hid the explosives in a cart he was pushing that was filled with children's toys. The bomber was wounded and is in hospital.

In the Lake Thar Thar incident, the US military said aircraft attacked a site after intelligence reports indicated senior al-Qaeda members were meeting there. Four insurgents were killed.

It said suspects from the initial meeting then moved to another area south of the lake and US forces came under small arms fire from a building.

"Responding in self-defence, supporting aircraft engaged the enemy threat. After securing the area, the ground force assessed 15 terrorists, six women and nine children were killed, two suspects, one woman and three children were wounded, and one suspected terrorist was detained," the US military said.

On Thursday, the US military said airstrikes targeting al-Qaeda members had followed the assassination of Sunni Arab preacher Abu Bilal.