"US Central Command is continuing its investigation into an allegation that coalition aircraft bombed a Red Crescent maternity hospital in Baghdad earlier today," the statement said.

It added that investigators were reviewing "targeting data" for coalition aircraft missions at the time of the reported incident.

Witnesses said one person was killed and a dozen people were wounded when coalition war planes targeting the site of Baghdad's annual trade fair blasted a Red Crescent maternity clinic.

The clinic was empty at the time of the strike at about 10:00 amin a central district of Baghdad but around 15 women were waiting at the entrance to undergo tests, Dr. Mohammad Ibrahim, an obstetrician, told AFP.

He said a dozen people, mostly women, were wounded, with one woman suffering a miscarriage.

SPACE.WIRE