Doubts raised over Scuds fired at Kuwait

20 March 2003
A Kuwaiti Defence Ministry official said that an Iraqi Scud ballistic missile was shot down by Patriot anti-missile defence systems around 0940 GMT on 20 March, according to reports from Kuwait. He also said two smaller missiles had been fired at Kuwait earlier in the day.

Explosions were reported close to the Kuwaiti border with Iraq on the morning of 20 March. This prompted anti-chemical weapon procedures among coalition units close to the Iraq border, reporters say.

The British Army said that four missiles were fired towards Kuwait from Iraq but has withheld confirmation that any of them were long-range Scuds.

A spokesman said that two of the missiles were 'Scud-like' ballistic missiles. The other two were anti-ship missiles. Iraq is banned from keeping long-range missiles are banned under UN disarmament resolutions

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