US warplanes bombed an air defence communications facility in southern Iraq after coalition aircraft came under Iraqi fire in violation of last week's UN Security Council resolution according to US military sources.
The US administration was expected to report the incident to the UN Security Council, but it was still debating whether to declare it a "material breach," officials said.
However the question is answered, it will be an early test of President George W Bush's vow to pursue a policy of "zero tolerance" toward Iraqi violations of UN Security Council resolutions.
A defence official said US warplanes have come under surface-to-air fire from Iraqi forces 11 times since UN Security Council resolution 1441 was passed November 8th.
Besides setting forth the terms of new UN arms inspections, the resolution orders Iraq not to take or threaten hostile acts against any member state "taking action to uphold any council resolution."
US Defence Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld said last week that whether the attacks on coalition aircraft would constitute a breach of the resolution was for Mr Bush and the Security Council to decide.
AFP