Cameron apologises for 'Bloody Sunday'

British Prime Minister David Cameron has formally apologised for the Bloody Sunday killings, one of the darkest days in Northern Ireland's history, calling them "unjustified and unjustifiable."

As a long-awaited report into the shootings of 13 civilians by British troops on January 30, 1972 was published, Cameron stressed that none of the victims were armed and soldiers had given no warning before opening fire.

"There is no doubt .. what happened on Bloody Sunday was both unjustified and unjustifiable. It was wrong," he told the House of Commons in London, adding: "On behalf of the government .... I am deeply sorry."

The conclusions of the 5,000-page report into the incident were "absolutely clear", he said, adding that "the conclusions of this report are absolutely clear. There is no doubt. There is nothing equivocal. There are no ambiguities.

"What happened on Bloody Sunday was both unjustified and unjustifiable.

"It was wrong.

"What happened should never, ever have happened."

Publication of the report was greeted with cheers in Londonderry, Northern Ireland's second city, where relatives of those who died joined thousands waiting to see the contents of the 5,000-page document.

The killings, when British soldiers opened fire on a civil rights march in Londonderry, was one of the most controversial in Northern Ireland's history, and there had been fears the report could re-open wounds.

More than 3,500 people died during the unrest, which were largely ended by a 1998 peace deal, but emotions still run high in Northern Ireland over its violent history, which pitched Catholics against Protestants.

The inquiry, which took 12 years to report at a cost of more than €230 million aimed to paint a full picture of events.

It was commissioned by then premier Tony Blair in 1998, after a 1972 probe which they dismiss as a whitewash.

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who was second in command for Catholic militant group the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Londonderry at the time, insisted the report would not lead to fresh divisions.

Before the report was published, around 60 relatives and campaigners held a symbolic gathering in Londonderry -- known as Derry to Catholics -- to complete the march halted by the killings, while a public parade was also scheduled.

The inquiry, headed by senior judge Mark Saville, was called by former prime minister Tony Blair's Labour government in 1998 as Northern Ireland's peace process built momentum.

It heard from more than 900 witnesses and received statements from around 2,500 people. The evidence ran to an estimated 20-30 million words.