20000207

Iraq forces

US, UK planes

to flee

BAGHDAD: Iraqi forces fired ground-to-air missiles at US and British planes patrolling the southern no-fly zone, forcing them to flee, official Iraqi radio reported.

"Our missile batteries and ground defences forced then to flee to the traitors' bases in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait," an Iraqi defence spokesman said, without giving any detail of the attack.

Baghdad does not recognise the air exclusion zones maintained by the Western forces over northern and southern Iraq, imposed to protect the minority forces who live in the areas.

Skirmishes between Iraq defences and the US and British planes have been frequent since the end of "Operation Desert Fox," a campaign of air strikes conducted by the two powers in December 1998.

The Anglo-US air raids have left 156 dead in Iraq, according to an unofficial tally by AFP.

According to the Iraqi defence spokesman cited by the radio, the allied planes had made 60 sorties over the southern no-fly when they were fired at.ÑAFP