U.S. jets bomb Iraqi targets

From staff and wire reports

WASHINGTON -- U.S. planes enforcing a no-fly zone over southern Iraq struck several targets Saturday and returned safely to base, U.S. military officials said.

"The strikes came in response to anti-aircraft artillery fire directed yesterday against coalition aircraft enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions," said a statement from the U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.

It said the bombing was aimed at "integrated air defense command-and-control sites in southern Iraq."

Britain said none of its aircraft were involved in Saturday's strikes.

In Baghdad, the official Iraqi News Agency INA quoted a military spokesman as saying "enemy formations" flew over Basra, Dhi qar, Muthanna and Najaf provinces at 4 p.m., attacking civilian and service installations.

The Iraqi spokesman said Iraqi air defense units fired on the jets and forced them to return to their bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Since December 1998, U.S. and British planes have frequently bombed targets in the no-fly zones established after the Gulf War in northern and southern of Iraq. The last strike against Iraqi targets was on August 30.

Iraq says 311 civilians have been killed and 927 wounded in these attacks.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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