US warplanes hit southern Iraq targets

11.30pm

ABOARD USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, THE GULF - Warplanes from at least two US aircraft carriers struck targets in southern Iraq today, hours before the 1.15pm (NZT) expiry of a US deadline for President Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or face war.

US Navy officials said aircraft from the carrier Abraham Lincoln bombed command and control facilities in southwest Iraq after coalition aircraft patrolling a no-fly zone were fired on by Iraqi forces, Rear Admiral John Kelly told reporters aboard the Lincoln.

"There were yesterday four firings against our aircraft flying in the southern no-fly zone," he said.

Later in the day, eight F-18 "Hornets" and two F-14 "Tomcat" strike aircraft from the carrier Kitty Hawk hit targets in southeastern Iraq -- their first such strikes in support of the no-fly zone since the carrier entered the region nearly a month ago, said Kitty Hawk spokeswoman Lieutenant Nicole Kratzer.

The Kitty Hawk-based aircraft used laser-guided and precision strike weapons against an Iraqi intelligence facility and mobile surface-to-air missile sites after unspecified Iraqi provocations, she said.

In London, the Ministry of Defence said US and British warplanes attacked Iraqi artillery positions in the southern no-fly zone late on Wednesday (local time), but a ministry spokesman denied it was abnormal activity.

"Aircraft that patrol the southern no-fly zone have been in action tonight with normal no-fly zone activity targeting systems which are a threat to our forces," the spokesman told Reuters.

"It is not the big push. It is normal southern no-fly zone activity," he added. "This isn't the start of something big."

In Washington, the US military confirmed the strikes and said warplanes had also dropped two million leaflets telling Iraqi troops how to surrender in any US-led war over Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction.

US and British warplanes have been policing no-fly zones over southern and northern Iraq for more than a decade. The zones were established to protect ethnic Kurds in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from Saddam's forces. Iraq does not recognise the no-fly zones.

Kelly said Iraq was moving its surface to air missile systems and other weapons systems around the country in an apparent effort to avoid being targeted.

Kelly said coalition intelligence was reporting increased movement of troops, aircraft and weapons in Iraq.

"We're seeing some fortifications that were built over the last month or two months being occupied. Mostly we're seeing high value targets, surface to air missiles, moving in an effort by them to increase their survivability," he said.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq