Coalition forces strike Iraqi air defense site

  • Published
Operation Southern Watch aircrews responded Sept. 4 to recent Iraqi hostile acts against coalition aircraft monitoring the southern no-fly zone. They used precision-guided weapons to strike an air defense command and control facility at a military airfield 240 miles west and slightly south of Baghdad, at approximately 2:30 a.m. EDT.

Target battle damage assessment is ongoing.

Coalition strikes in the no-fly zones are executed as a self-defense measure in response to Iraqi hostile threats and acts against coalition forces and their aircraft, said U.S. Central Command officials.

The last coalition strike in the southern no-fly zone was Aug. 30 against surface-to-air missile launchers near Al Kut.

This calendar year there have been more than 130 separate incidents of Iraqi surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery fire directed against coalition aircraft, said officials.