West Bank Hit by Iraq Missile; No Casualties

January 31, 1991|From Associated Press

JERUSALEM — Iraq fired another missile at Israel tonight, and the army said the rocket hit the occupied West Bank.

Air raid sirens went off at 6 p.m., and about 40 minutes later the army advised Israelis that they could remove their gas masks, indicating that no chemical weapons were involved.

The army's chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Nachman Shai, said today's attack involved a single Scud that landed in a northern area of the West Bank and carried a conventional warhead. The army barred publication of the exact location where the missile hit.

Shai said shrapnel from the missile scattered over a large area, but there were no reports of casualties or damage.

In the last missile attack Monday, an Iraqi Scud landed near the West Bank village of Deir Ballut, causing no injuries. The West Bank is home to Palestinians, who have strongly backed Iraq in the Persian Gulf War.

"The launching tonight strengthens what we already know, that the missile potential continues to exist," Shai said. "The problem is not what it was several days ago, but they are still able to fire one or two missiles."

Reporters in Tel Aviv said they heard no firings tonight of U.S.-supplied Patriot interceptor missiles. The United States has rushed half a dozen Patriot batteries to Israel to defend against Scud missile attacks.

The Patriots did not fire Monday either. On at least three occasions, Patriots have brought down incoming missiles aimed at the cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast.

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