U. S. Bombs Libyan Base : Retaliates Against Missile Site, Boast as Jets Are Fired On : No Planes Hit in Sidra Gulf Attack

Libyan television said Monday that Libyan air defenses shot down three U.S. planes over the Gulf of Sidra and American networks reported that U.S. forces attacked Libyan military sites, knocking out up to 12 missile launchers.

Libyan television said two of the U.S. planes were shot down at noon and the third at night. The report, monitored in London by the British Broadcasting Corp. Earlier, American officials in Washington said Libya fired at least one surface-to-air missile at U.S. planes that crossed Col. Moammar Kadafi’s “line of death” and penetrated the skies over the Gulf of Sidra.

One official said “one or two” missiles were fired at the jet fighters and that they “fell into the water” without hitting their targets.

Also in Washington, NBC and CBS reported that the United States launched a retaliatory strike and had destroyed up to 12 newly installed missile launchers on the Libyan coast.

Libya claims all of the Gulf of Sidra, which extends about 125 miles seaward from the Libyan coast. The United States and other countries only recognize a 12-mile territorial limit.

There was no immediate comment on the reports from the Reagan Administration.

The reports coincided with a Libyan television broadcast which said the country’s air defenses had shot down three U.S. aircraft over the Gulf of Sidra.

The BBC monitor said Libyan television interrupted a musical program with the following statement read by an announcer:

“Brothers and sisters, we now receive the following:

“The American Air Force commenced this morning violating the air space over Libyan territorial waters in the Gulf of Sidra. Our air defenses combatted and shot down three aircraft, two of which were shot down at noon and the third this evening. The three aircraft fell into the sea.

“At about 1:20 p.m. the American fleet shelled the suburbs of the city of Sirte using rockets.”

The announcement ended with, ‘Al-Fatih forever, and the revolutionary struggle will continue.” Al-Fatih means ‘the conqueror,’ and was an apparent reference Kadafi.