One Iraqi was killed and two more injured on Saturday when US and British planes raided southern Iraq, a military spokesman in Baghdad said.
An official from the information ministry had earlier announced the raid, without mentioning any casualties.
The military spokesman, quoted by the official INA agency, said that US and British planes had targeted "civilian and service installations in Najaf province, killing one civilian and injuring two others, and also damaging a civilian vehicle."
"The aggressors committed this latest crime just as our valiant people were today celebrating the birthday of our much-loved leader Saddam Hussein," he said.
Popular ceremonies were organised Saturday in Iraq to mark the 64th birthday of the Iraqi leader, who has been in power since 1979.
The military spokesman said "enemy" (US and British) planes carried out a total of 34 sorties over five southern provinces.
"Our missiles batteries (surface-to-air) and anti-aircraft units offered resistance, forcing them to flee to their bases in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia," said the spokesman.
However, Britain's defence ministry later denied the Iraqi claims.
A ministry spokesman in London said that aircraft patrolling the no-fly zone on Iraq's southern border came under attack from Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries, but did not return fire.
According to Iraq's information ministry, a visit to the site of the raid will be organised Sunday morning for accredited journalists in Baghdad.
Almost daily incidents have pitted Iraqi air defences against US and British planes enforcing "no-fly" zones over both northern and southern Iraq.
According to Baghdad, raids by the allied forces have left 327 dead and one thousand wounded since the end of 1998.
(China Daily 04/29/2001)
