United Nations: Alarmed over increasing number of civilian casualties in Iraq in the fighting between American forces and Iraqi factions, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has appealed to all parties to exercise restraint to minimise danger to innocent civilians.

"He is alarmed by the increasing number of civilian casualties and appeals to all parties to exercise restraint in order to minimise danger to innocent civilians," the Secretary General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

The Secretary General, he said, has been following the recent development with "great anxiety."

Annan was in contact with US Secretary of State Colin Powell and his Special Adviser Lakhdar Brahimi, who is currently in Iraq consulting with sections of the population on the constitution of interim Government to which the Coalition Provisional Authority plans to hand over power by July 1, he added.