Posted on 03/29/2003 5:41:58 PM PST by Ymani Cricket
Australian FA-18s Striking Targets
March 30, 2003
AUSTRALIAN F/A-18 Hornets launched strikes against Iraqi headquarters infrastructure overnight, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) said today.
They also flew counter air missions but it was not yet clear if their actions were a success, ADF spokesman Brigadier Mike Hannon said.
Also overnight, clearance divers continued clearing the Khawr Abd 'Allah waterway around Umm Qasr.
Australian ADF troops were safe and well, Brigadier Hannan said.
"Our clearance divers have continued with clearance of the port facilities, and that will go on for a few days yet," Brigadier Hannan told ABC Radio.
"The remainder of the naval forces are involved in the final clearance of the Khawr Abd 'Allah waterway and they are just nearing completion at this stage."
Landing craft were still supporting operations but were soon due for a rest, he said. Land forces have continued surveillance deep inside Iraq, while the F/A-18s are continuing strikes.
"Our F/A-18 fighters have been conducting some strike and some counter air missions overnight," Brigadier Hannan said. "They flew as part of a coalition package together with other coalition aircraft attacking military targets.
"At this stage I understand that the targets overnight were an Iraqi headquarters infrastructure. "And I don't have any information on the success or otherwise of the strikes at this stage."
Brigadier Hannan said it was difficult to determine whether or not strikes had been successful, with civilian casualties a great concern.
"At this stage the targets that we've been engaged with have been purely military targets with an extremely low probability of any other involvement," he said.
There were no civilian organisations or infrastructure in the immediate area, he said.
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