Geneva, Nov. 18 (Reuters): UN human rights chief Louise Arbour today called for an international probe into Iraqi jails after accusations of serious abuse of detainees at a secret interior ministry detention centre.

The Iraqi government has already promised to investigate the discovery in a ministry bunker this week of 173 malnourished and, in some cases, badly beaten men and teenagers, some of whom showed signs of having been tortured.

But a government probe might not be enough given the high international concern, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said. A probe should cover all Iraqi detention centres because of the rising number of people being picked up in mass security and military operations, Arbour added.