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 30, 1999
RELEASE NUMBER: 99-11-08
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE IRAQI ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY
MacDill AFB, FL - At approximately 11:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time today, U.S. Air Force "Fighting Falcons" and U.S. Navy F/A-18 "Hornets" enforcing the southern No-Fly Zone used precision-guided weapons to strike two anti-aircraft artillery sites in southern Iraq. The anti-aircraft artillery batteries were located near the city of Al Khidr, approximately 160 miles south-southeast of Baghdad and near Al Amarah, approximately 165 miles east-southeast of Baghdad.
All coalition aircraft have returned safely and battle damage assessment is ongoing.
The strike came in response to an Iraqi violation of the southern No-Fly Zone earlier today.
To date, there have been more than 400 separate incidents of Iraqi surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery fire directed against coalition pilots since December 1998. Iraqi aircraft have violated the southern No-Fly Zone more than 140 times during the same period.
The anti-aircraft artillery batteries were targeted to further degrade Iraq's ability to jeopardize coalition pilots and aircraft enforcing United Nations' mandates.
Coalition aircraft do not target civilian populations or infrastructure and seek to avoid injury to civilians and damage to civilian facilities
11/30/99 1:09:20 PM
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