US and British aircraft attack Iraqi 'no-fly' zone

Warplanes participating in a US-British patrol over a "no-fly" zone in southern Iraq on Monday attacked Iraqi military communications sites after Iraqi forces fired on the aircraft with artillery and missiles, the US military said.

The US Central Command, in a statement from its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, said the warplanes used precision-guided weapons to target two cable repeater sites that are part of Iraq's military air defence command and control system.

The Pentagon says fibre-optic cables are part of a sophisticated Iraqi air defence communications network, linking radars, command posts and anti-aircraft weapons.

The sites were located between Al Kut, about 160km southeast of Baghdad, and An Nasiriyah, about 270km southeast of Baghdad, said Central Command, which oversees military operations in the region.

"Target battle damage assessment is ongoing," according to the statement.

"The coalition executed today's strike after Iraqi air defence forces fired anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles at coalition aircraft patrolling the southern no-fly zone," Central Command said.

The statement did not identify the nationality of the planes involved in Friday's attack.

The United States and Britain created no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War to protect Kurds in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from Iraqi government forces. Iraq does not recognise the zones.

A major escalation of attacks in the no-fly zones has coincided with a US military build-up in the Gulf region to prepare for a possible war with Iraq. The last such strike was on Monday, when patrolling aircraft attacked an Iraqi anti-ship missile launcher.

Iraq says the attacks frequently hit civilian sites. The United States says coalition aircraft never target civilian populations or infrastructure.

- REUTERS

Herald feature: Iraq