The Iraqi government has rejected the findings of a US investigation into the deaths of civilians in March in the town of Ishaqi, branding the probe unfair.

Police in the town say five children, four women and two men were shot in the head and the crimes then covered up. The US military inquiry has cleared its troops of misconduct and denies charges its soldiers deliberately killed civilians. “Allegations that the troops executed a family living in a safe house and then hid these alleged crimes by directing an airstrike are absolutely false,” said US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell.

The US says its troops had been fired on as they raided a house to arrest an al Qaeda suspect.

They called in air support which destroyed the building conceding that up to nine civilians could have been killed. This is one of a handful of incidents involving civilian deaths being investigated by the US military. A probe into the killings of two dozen Iraqis in the town of Haditha last November could see murder charges brought against US Marines.

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