Iraqi jets fly lonff distance air strike

Press, 13 August 1986, Page 10

Iraqi jets fly lonff distance air strike

NZPA-Reuter Bahrain Two Iraqi jets had launched a missile attack yesterday on Iran’s makeshift Sirri Island oil terminal, in the southern Gulf, setting two tankers ablaze and possibly hitting a third, shipping sources in the region said. The attack was launched when the planes flew low over the island and hit the tankers, which were moored about one mile offshore, they said. It was the first reported Iraqi attack on Sirri island, about 160 km from the Strait of Hormuz, between Iran and Oman, at the entrance to the Gulf. Sirri is a key terminal for Iranian oil exports because of' continued attacks on the main terminal, at Kharg Island, in an Iraqi-proclaimed war zone in the northern Gulf. Iran and Iraq have been at war since September 1980. Iran has a fleet of chartered tankers that carry export oil the 300 or so miles from Kharg to Sirri, which until now was believed to have been outside the range of Iraq’s Air Force.

The sources said all loading had been baited at Sirri and that tankers were fleeing the area, fearing possible explosions from the blaring -f vessels. ' y The raid Indicates that Iraq may have upgraded its air force by buying longer-range jets. The sources said, another possibility that the planes had been refuelled in the - Aviation sources in the Gulf said in January that 7 Iraq had shown interest in buying French Mirage 2000 fighter-bomber, capable of reaching Sirri from Iraq with fuel drop“The Iraqis are proving Sirri is in their range ... It will have a big effect on Iran’s operation,*’ one shipping source said; “This attack has changed the whole nature of the tanker war,” itsaid. Yesterday’s attack' was stayed as the "tanker war” intensifies — an extension of Iran and Iraq’s ground conflict — which has resulted in around 50 merchant vessels hit so far this year, compared with 46 for the whole of 1985.