F-16 Jet Mistakenly Bombs Patriot Missile Battery

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 26, 2003

F-16 Jet Mistakenly Bombs Patriot Missile Battery

A US defense official confirmed Tuesday that an F-16 fighter jet mistakenly fired on a Patriot missile battery in Iraq on Monday, but causing no casualties.

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A US defense official confirmed Tuesday that an F-16 fighter jet mistakenly fired on a Patriot missile battery in Iraq on Monday, but causing no casualties.

The incident occurred Monday about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Najaf, Lt. Mark Kitchens, a US Central Command spokesman said.

The F-16 fired an AGM-88 high-speed anti-radiation missile at the battery and damaged its radar, he said.

It was the second friendly-fire incident. On Sunday, two British aircrew were killed when a US Patriot missile battery shotdown their Tornado bomber in the Gulf.

Kitchens said that two incidents are "separate and distinct" and both are under review to identify procedural changes to ensurethe safety of the coalition air crews and patriot crews in combat operations.

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24 Coalition Troops Killed in Friendly Fire

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