BAGHDAD, March 28 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told the British ambassador to Iraq on Wednesday he would do his best to help reach a peaceful resolution to the crisis over 15 British sailors and marines detained by Iran.

Britain has insisted the British marines and sailors were in Iraqi waters off southern Iraq when they were detained by Iranian forces on Friday and has demanded their return. Tehran says they were in Iranian waters.

Maliki, a Shi'ite Islamist who heads an alliance of Shi'ite parties with close links to Iran, met British Ambassador Dominic Asquith on Wednesday.

"He said Iraq is very keen to know the exact location where the incident happened," Maliki's office said in a statement.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said on Tuesday Iraq fears getting caught in the middle if tension between Iran and Britain over the captured British sailors escalates further.

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