BERLIN (Reuters) - A ban on media access to coffins of killed American soldiers as they are transferred to U.S.-bound aircraft at an airbase in Germany will stay in place despite calls to relax the rules, officials said Monday.

U.S. military officials at Ramstein, a major air base used as a transfer point, said the Department of Defense re-affirmed a ban on television crews and photographers from filming flag- draped coffins, although coverage of the wounded is permitted.

The issue erupted when photographs of coffins appeared in the media after the Air Force released more than 300 pictures in response to a Freedom of Information request. More than 700 U.S. troops have died in Iraq, including more than 100 this month.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry accused President Bush Sunday of trying to hide the consequences of the war by restricting coffin pictures. But the White House said it protects the privacy of soldiers' families.

"The policy was re-affirmed at the weekend and it says we don't allow it (pictures of coffins) so we don't," said Major Mike Young, public affairs chief for the 435th air base wing in Ramstein, about half-way between Iraq and the Dover air base.

"There has been heightened media interest and we do get requests," he said. "The policy states we do it out of respect to the families. There have been some instances where we did (allow access), but we're not going to do it again."

The ban was set up in 1991 but later relaxed, officials said. They dismiss criticism it represents censorship.

Camera crews did film honor guard ceremonies and transfers of American-flag covered coffins onto planes headed for Dover after the attack on the U.S.S. Cole in 2000 and also during the war in Afghanistan, Young and other U.S. officials said.

But rules were again strictly enforced just before the Iraq war began. Young said all 700 Americans killed in Iraq had passed through Ramstein, but no coffins had been filmed.

Journalists in Germany trying to obtain access to the flag-draped coffins said they'd been repeatedly told "No."