US reiterated on Wednesday its call for an international probe of Uzbekistan shootings, in which hundreds of people were reportedly killed.

"We've been very clear that the Uzbek government needs to let in an international team, needs to be fully transparent in investigating and allowing an international investigation of what happened at Andijan," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

"We continue to call for them to allow an international investigation. To this point, they have not agreed to let an international investigation team in," McCormack said.

Uzbek government troops put down unrest in Andijan in eastern Uzbekistan on May 13 after protesters stormed a prison, freed inmates and then seized local government offices.

Uzbekistan authorities said that 169 people were killed in violence in the eastern town of Andijan.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov, who has blamed the violence on Islamic militants, announced Wednesday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital, that the investigation is completed and the first trial will begin on September 20.

The Uzbek government says it has arrested 80 people on suspicion of involvement in the violence at Andijan.

"The whole truth will be exposed there," Karimov said in remarks broadcast over the state radio.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2005)