Breaking news
Gaddafi forces have fired Scud ballistic missile for first time after six months conflict 1608111.
| 2011
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Defense News - Libya |
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| Tuesday, August 16, 2011, 09:06 AM | |||
| Gaddafi forces have fired a Scud ballistic missile for the first time after six months of conflict. | |||
Military
forces loyal to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi have fired a Scud
missile for the first time in the country's six-month conflict,
US defence officials say. |
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They say the rocket was launched from the coastal city of Sirte and aimed at Brega - currently held by rebel forces - but landed harmlessly in the desert. There is no independent confirmation of the Scud missile firing. NATO and U.S. air strikes have targeted Libyan Scud missile facilities and air defense sites out of concern that Mr. Gadhafi would use the missiles to target areas beyond government control. Libyan armed forces are believed to have more than 200 scuds in their arsenal. The Scud launch was detected by US forces, who say the missile landed in the desert about 80km (50 miles) outside the strategic port of Brega.The Scud SS-1 medium range ballistic missiles are battlefield support weapons designed to strike at targets such as marshalling areas, major storage dumps and airfields behind enemy lines. Warheads can be nuclear, chemical (persistent) or conventional HE. After several weeks of NATO air strikes, the forces of Colonel Gaddafi have always military equipment to fight the rebels. |
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