Iraqi vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan warned Kuwait and Saudi Arabia this week that Baghdad was `able to do significant harm', if they continued to allow Western forces to operate from their soil. Iraq does not recognise the no-fly zones declared by Western powers to protect rebel Kurds in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the South.

Ramadan was quoted by Radio Monte Carlo as saying if Incirlik `keeps being used to attack Iraq, the threats of an Iraqi response may also affect it.'

The US military spokesman said the US planes had fired in self-defence after being locked by Iraqi radar, but there was no damage to thejets.