Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

MACDILL AFB, FL – At approximately 2:15 a.m. Eastern Standard Time today, U.S. Air Force F-16CG "Fighting Falcon," and British Royal Air Force GR-1 "Tornado" aircraft enforcing the Southern No-Fly Zone struck two Iraqi military communications sites using precision guided munitions in response to surface-to-air missile fire directed at coalition aircraft.

The strikes were conducted near As Samawah, which is approximately 150 miles southeast of Baghdad, and near Ad Diwaniyah, which is approximately 100 miles south of Baghdad.

These hostile acts were the latest of more than 135 Iraqi provocations in the southern no-fly zone since Operation Desert Fox.

There were no coalition aircraft damaged during the incident and battle damage assessment is ongoing.

Coalition air and naval forces are responsible for enforcing the no-fly zones over Iraq and UN-mandated maritime sanctions. At the same time, these forces continuously assess the level of threat posed by the Iraqi forces and take actions that are necessary to reduce these threats and to defend themselves.

Since Desert Fox, Saddam Hussein has significantly increased the threat to our pilots and aircrews patrolling the no-fly zones through his rhetoric and actions. Iraq has announced its intent to bring down a coalition aircraft, and in fact has issued a bounty to Iraqi military personnel for a successful engagement.