Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
June 6, 2000
RELEASE NUMBER: 00-06-01
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COALITION AIRCRAFT STRIKE IRAQI AAA SITES
MACDILL AFB, FL - - At approximately 2:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time today, U.S. Navy F-14 "Tomcat," aircraft enforcing the Southern No-Fly Zone used precision-guided munitions to strike Iraqi military anti-aircraft artillery batteries in Southern Iraq.
All coalition aircraft have returned safely and battle damage assessment is ongoing.
The coalition strikes came in response to anti-aircraft artillery fire against coalition aircraft yesterday and today.
To date, there have been more than 480 separate incidents of Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missile fire directed at coalition pilots since December 1998. Additionally, Iraqi aircraft have violated the Southern No-Fly Zone more than 150 times during the same period. The last coalition strikes were against Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery sites near As Samawah and an Iraqi military radar site near Ash Shuaybah on May 22.
Coalition aircraft do not target civilian populations or infrastructure and seek to avoid injury to civilians and damage to civilian facilities.
6/6/00 11:09:50 AM
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