MESSAGE BOARD: Middle East: Iraq

March 15, 1999
Web posted at: 11:10 a.m. EST (1610 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. jet fighters dropped 500-pound, laser-guided bombs on several anti-aircraft artillery sites in Iraq's northern no-fly zone on Monday, said the U.S. European Command.

The attacks, which occurred northwest of Mosul around noon local time, were in response to "threats from Iraqi radar," said U.S. military officials.

Including Monday's incidents, U.S. and British planes have attacked more than 140 Iraqi targets since December 28 -- the first day the U.S. attacked Iraqi air defenses after Operation Desert Fox earlier in December.

The United States, Britain and France set up the no- fly zones in Iraq after the 1991 Persian Gulf War to deter the Iraqi air force from attacking rebels in the north and the south. Iraq does not recognize the zones and has vowed to fire at any plane that violates its airspace.

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.