 Coalition aircraft strike in response to threatReleased: 10 Feb 1999 MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- Coalition aircraft enforcing the southern no-fly zone in Iraq struck military targets at about 4 a.m. EST Feb. 10 in response to Iraqi provocations. The aircraft, operating from bases in the Southwest Asia region and on patrol in the area, used precision-guided weapons to strike air defense sites near Talil and An Najaf. Talil is about 170 miles southeast of Baghdad and An Najaf about 100 miles south of Baghdad. No coalition aircraft were damaged during the incident, and battle damage assessment is ongoing. Since Operation Desert Fox, the Iraqi military has been increasing both the pace and severity of no-fly zone violations, according to U.S. Central Command, which reported the latest incident. "Despite repeated warnings," a CENTCOM spokesman said, "Iraqi actions and intentions pose serious threats to our aircrews and our actions today are an appropriate response to these threats." U.S. and coalition aircraft enforcing the no-fly zones over Iraq, according to the spokesman, "continuously assess the level of threat posed by the Iraqi forces and take actions necessary to reduce these threats and to defend themselves."
These aircraft are part of Operation Southern Watch that enforces United Nations sanctions and restrictions of the no-fly zone south of the 33rd parallel in Iraq.
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