U.S. President Barack Obama announces the resignation of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (L) as his successor, John B. King Jr., who currently acts as Duncan's deputy, listens in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington October 2, 2015. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

The White House on Friday called for an investigation into reports that civilians and Red Crescent volunteers were killed in air strikes in Al-Mokha and Taiz in Yemen earlier this week, and urged precise targeting by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in the country.

The White House said it was “deeply concerned” and “shocked and saddened” by the reports, and noted that the United States has urged “the imperative of precise targeting” to the coalition.

“We take all credible accounts of civilian deaths very seriously and again call on all sides of the conflict in Yemen to do their utmost to avoid harm to civilians and to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law,” White House National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

“We call for an investigation into these reported civilian casualties and for the findings to be reported publicly,” Price said.