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LONDON
20/03/03 - News and city section

Scud lands near Marines' base
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/til/jsp/m ... Id=3919081

Four scud missiles have been fired at northern Kuwait this morning as the country braces itself for retaliatory strikes. US Marines said one of the missiles landed near their camp.

Air raid sirens sounded throughout the morning as Kuwait City was put on full alert for a possible gas attack.

Kuwaiti and US military officials said at least two Iraqi Scud missiles hit Kuwait, and another two were destroyed by Patriot anti-aircraft batteries.

Iraq was quick to deny it had fired missiles, saying it did not have any.

Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf told a news conference: "I heard reports that we fired Scud missiles on Kuwait. I would like to tell you that we don't have Scud missiles, and why they were fired, I don't know," Sahaf said.

Journalists at Camp Coyote - home to the thousands of British soldiers in Kuwait - told how they heard a thunderous explosion shortly before 7.40am British time.

One said it came with such force that the after-shock set tent canvases trembling.

The camp was warned last night that a retaliatory strike was possible once US bombing began, and that any warning sirens heard were for real, not another drill.

When air raid sirens sound, soldiers, reporters and civilians have just nine seconds to put their gas masks on.