"The evildoers have once again violated our national airspace in the southern region. At 0924 [0624 gmt] today, 30 December, enemy formations coming from Saudi airspace tried to approach one of our air defence positions.

"The spokesman added that our valiant missile air defence units fired a number of surface-to-air missiles against one of these enemy formations and forced them to flee, after one of these planes was almost certainly shot down.

"In a cowardly reaction to our heroic air defences' confrontation of the aircraft of the evil aggressors, another group of enemy air formations returned at 1013 this morning and approached the same area, firing a number of cowardly missiles on a village in the area.

"This flagrant aggression led to the martyrdom of villager Jabir Khallawi al-Ziyadi and the injury of his brother Muhammad al-Ziyadi. A female citizen, Latifah 'A'id Thajil, was also wounded. A tractor that was working in the area was destroyed. Having committed this reckless crime, the enemy formations fled."

The commander of Iraq's southern region, Ali Hasan al-Majid, sent Iraqi President Saddam Hussein a message saying his forces had shot down a "hostile" plane. The following are excerpts from the message broadcast by Iraqi radio:

"Air defence heroes fired their missiles today and downed one of the hostile planes violating Iraqi airspace.

"They have relied on Satan and we have relied on God. Despite the fact that this battle and the previous battles have not been fair and balanced, God has made you victorious and I pray him to realize victory for humanity and the Arabs through you.

"O symbol of the Iraqis and pride of the Arabs: We speak in your name and we rely on God and the resources of our people in our endeavours to liberate the skies of Iraq from the devils who back the greatest licentious man in the universe, Clinton Monica Lewinsky, and who are supported by some of the evil Arabs from the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

"Curse these traitors who are painstakingly trying to cover up the scandal of the Black [White] House."