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
December 6, 1999
RELEASE NUMBER: 99-12-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE IRAQI
MacDill AFB, FL - At approximately 5:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time today, U.S. Navy F/A-18 "Hornets" and F-14 "Tomcats" enforcing the southern No-Fly Zone used precision-guided weapons to strike an Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery site and a military radar site in southern Iraq. Both sites were located near the city of Al Amarah, approximately 165 miles east-southeast of Baghdad.
The strike was in response to an Iraqi anti-aircraft fire against coalition aircraft patrolling the southern No-Fly Zone earlier today.
To date, there have been more than 410 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 site and military radar site 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
12/6/99 8:47:23 AM
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