Iraqi no-fly zones see a second clash as Iraq assert it downed a US plane
A US Pentagon spokesman said today that a second clash this week took place in the US-enforced Iraq no-fly zones, with today's conflict taking place in the southern zone.
On Monday an Iraqi anti-aircraft position in the northern zone exchanged fire with US fighter jets, resulting in the death of four Iraqi soldiers. Both sides accused the other of initiating that incident.
Iraq reiterated on Tuesday that it downed a warplane when its air defense forces intercepted a formation of enemy planes. Iraqi Deputy Prime Minsiter Tariq Aziz said "Iraqi observation centers and radar and the Iraqi troops stressed that an enemy plane was shot down, but its remains are not found yet."
Iraq said it would continue not to recognize the zones, while the US said it would continue to patrol the zones.
Aziz added on Tuesday that, "Iraq is challenging the no-fly zones patrolled by the US and Britain by flying its jet fighters there."
In today's incident, the Pentagon spokesman said a British aircraft reported seeing something being fired from a site near Talil in southern Iraq. US fighter jets responded to the attack 45 minutes later by returning fire against the site.
Major Joe LaMarca, a spokesman for US Central Command in the United States, said that patrols are continuing in both no-fly zones, and characterized the Iraqi attack as "unprovoked." He said the Iraqis had fired surface-to-air missiles and added that damage to the Iraqi site was "ongoing."
An Iraqi military statement issued on Monday announced the Iraqi missiles downed an enemy plane in northern Iraq. But the US said that all its planes which carried the raid returned safe to its bases in Turkey.
France abstained from commenting on recent developments between Iraq and the British and American allies, but the French government officially stressed the suspension of its participation in the monitoring operation of the air embargo on northern and southern Iraq.
In the Arab arena, Libya voiced support for the position taken by Iraq not accepting being divided into areas at the American decision.