§ Sir George GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the outcome of coalition operations against Iraq on 13 January.
§ Mr. RifkindI am delighted to report that information now received confirms that no coalition aircraft or personnel were lost or damaged in the attack. There are media reports of a small number of Iraqi casualties, but we are unable to substantiate these at present.
I am also in a position to confirm that the operation achieved a high degree of success. All the indicators so far are that a serious blow has been dealt to the Iraqi air defence network in the south, thereby significantly enhancing the safety of coalition aircraft patrolling the no-fly zone. The latest information indicates that the RAF Tornado GR1 aircraft involved successfully inflicted severe damage on their targets in the air defence facilities at A1 Amarah.
Further reconnaissance will be required to provide firmer details, and it will be some time before final 844W assessments of the success of the operation are available. I will continue to report to the House as more information becomes available.