HEADQUARTERS,
UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND
7115 South Boundary Boulevard
MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101
Phone: (813) 828-5894; FAX: (813) 840-5629; DSN 968-5894
NOVEMBER 22, 1999
RELEASE NUMBER: 99-11-05
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE SAM SITE
MACDILL AFB, FL - At approximately 6:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time today, U.S. Navy F/A-18 "Hornets" enforcing the southern No-Fly Zone used precision-guided weapons to strike a surface-to-air missile site in southern Iraq in response to anti-aircraft artillery fired at coalition aircraft today. The SAM site was located near the city of An Najaf, approximately 85 miles south of Baghdad.
All coalition aircraft have returned safely and battle damage assessment is ongoing.
This incident is only the latest in a continuing pattern of Iraqi provocations against coalition forces enforcing the southern No-Fly Zone. Additionally, Iraqi activities with regard to their surface-to-air missile systems within the No-Fly Zones violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and coalition demarches.
To date, Iraq's military has engaged in more than 510 direct provocations, including more than 140 No-Fly Zone violations and more than 370 separate incidents of Iraqi
surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery fire directed against coalition aircraft since Operation Desert Fox in December 1998.
This SAM site was targeted to further degrade Iraq's ability to jeopardize coalition pilots and aircraft enforcing United Nations' mandates. The last coalition strike in the southern No-Fly Zone was against an Iraqi military radar site on November 18.
Coalition aircraft do not target civilian populations or infrastructure and seek to avoid injury to civilians and damage to civilian facilities. U.S. and coalition aircraft are part of Operation Southern Watch and are responsible for enforcing No-Fly Zones over southern Iraq.
11/22/99 10:23:11 AM
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