U.S., British Jets Bomb Southern IraqWarplanes of the United States and Britain raided southern Iraq on Friday, an Iraqi military spokesman said.The spokesman made the remarks in a statement, carried by the official Iraqi News Agency. He did not say whether there were any casualties or damage. At 10:50 local time (0650 GMT), U.S. and British planes from Kuwaiti and Saudi bases made nine armed sorties over the southern provinces of Basra, Misan, Thi-Qar, Muthana and Wasit, and attacked "civilian and service installations" in Misan Province, the spokesman said. "Iraqi air defense artillery opened fire at the invading planes and forced them to flee," he added. Iraq has been targeting U.S. and British aircraft patrolling the two no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq with surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery. U.S. and British planes have been enforcing the no-fly zones, set up after the 1991 Gulf War with the claimed aim of protecting the Kurds in the north and the Shiite Muslims in the south from possible attacks by the Iraqi government forces. Iraq does not recognize the zones, which are not authorized by any United Nations resolutions. Baghdad said that U.S. and British warplanes also bombed its northern Neiveva Province on Thursday with incendiary bombs. |
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