Updated

The British government says a long-delayed report on the U.K.'s involvement in the Iraq war will be published July 6, seven years after the inquiry began.

The Cabinet Office said Monday that security checking of the report by retired civil servant John Chilcot has been completed. The 2.6 million-word document will now be prepared for publication.

The inquiry into mistakes made before and after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion held public hearings between 2009 and 2011, taking evidence from more than 150 witnesses.

Its report has been repeatedly delayed, in part by a process that gives those who are criticized a chance to respond.

Families of troops killed in Iraq say the delays are prolonging their grief as they search for answers about how Britain ended up in the conflict.