Iraq Reports Its Jets Downed Iranian F-4 in Gulf Dogfight
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Iraqi warplanes attacked an industrial plant near Ahwaz, in southeastern Iran, and Iraq said its planes shot down an Iranian F-4 Phantom in a dogfight over the Persian Gulf on Wednesday.
Iran denied it lost a plane Wednesday. Its official news agency IRNA said the Iraqi planes fired a single rocket at an “industrial unit” near Ahwaz, damaging it.
The dogfight over the gulf took place shortly after 7 a.m., when Iraqi jets were on routine patrol over Iraq’s Amiq port, Baghdad’s state-owned news agency INA said, quoting a military communique.
The Iranian jet was seen “falling in flames” into the water after being hit, and the Iraqi planes returned safely to base, INA said.
Aircraft in Iraq’s air force outnumber those of Iran by 20 to 1, and dogfights between the two forces are not common.
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