U.S. forces kill seven in raid in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. forces backed by attack aircraft killed four suspected militants and three women in a raid on a house in northern Iraq on Friday, the military said.

A local Iraqi police officer put the death toll at eight.He said all were civilians from the same family and includedthree women. A helicopter air strike levelled the house atDour, 140 km (85 miles) north of Baghdad, in Salahuddinprovince, he said.

In a statement, the military said U.S. forces weresearching for an al Qaeda militant involved in roadsidebombings.

Upon arriving at the house in Dour, troops ordered theoccupants to come out. After an hour, an armed man appeared whowas shot dead, the military said, adding he was laterdetermined to be the wanted militant.

Attack aircraft were also called in, killing threemilitants but also the three women, the military said. A3-year-old boy was rescued from rubble and taken away fortreatment, it said.

The police officer, who declined to be identified, said sixof the people were killed in the air strike. Two other familymembers were shot dead outside the house, he said.

"We do not know what information they have about thisfamily that would lead them to commit such an ... act," thepolice officer said. "I am waiting to meet the Americans tofind out the reason that led to this tragedy."

An Interior Ministry official in Baghdad said eight peoplehad been killed in the raid but did not have details.

In the statement, U.S. military spokesman Colonel JerryO'Hara, said: "Sadly, this incident again shows that (al Qaeda)terrorists repeatedly risk the lives of innocent women andchildren to further their evil work."

Civilian deaths are a sensitive issue in Iraq as itnegotiates a deal with the United States that will govern thepresence of U.S. troops in Iraq when a U.N. mandate expires atthe end of the year.

One of the key sticking points is the question of immunityfor U.S. soldiers.

In May, Iraqi police said eight civilians were killed in ahelicopter strike in the northern town of Baiji, although U.S.forces said six of them were suspected militants with links toa bombing network.

(Reporting by Khalid al-Ansary and Tim Cocks; Writing byTim Cocks, Editing by Diana Abdallah)