12th May 1999
0900


OPERATION ALLIED FORCE UPDATE


Yesterday was one of the busiest days so far in the NATO air campaign over
Yugoslavia, with over 600 sorties flown, including the highest number of
strike sorties to date. Substantial damage was inflicted on the Serb
military machine, and we have further restricted the Serbian forces room
for manoeuvre in Kosovo.


Our campaign to pin down, cut off and take out Serbian forces is gathering
pace. Among strategic targets, five airfields and eight bridges were
attacked. In strikes against Yugoslav forces five MiG 21 aircraft were
destroyed on the ground, and an SA-6 surface to air missile
transporter/launcher was hit.


Serb forces in Kosovo and Serbia were attacked on numerous occasions, with
tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery pieces, anti-aircraft artillery,
mortars, command posts, several assembly areas and troops all coming under
fire, particularly in the Suva Reka, Junik and Stimjle areas, in addition
to strikes against numerous military trucks. Even vehicles that the Serbs
had tried to protect were struck, with substantial attacks on vehicles in
disguised defensive positions.


Strategic targets included:


Airfields at:
· Nis
· Ponikve
· Pristina
· Sjenica
· Obrva


Military radio towers at:
· Vrsac
· Kosovska Mitrovica
· Uzice


Road bridges at:
· Horgos
· Kokinbrod
· Popovac
· Kosmaca
· Svetozarevo
· Vladicin





Rail bridges at:
· Usce
· Maglic



Petroleum storage sites at:
· Sombor
· Nis


Army barracks at:
· Sabak
· Cuprija


War-related industrial facilities including:
· An explosive plant at Baric
· A munitions storage site at Paracin
· An SA-6 factory at Kragujevac
· An ordnance repair facility at Cacak


In addition, a tactical reporting post at Kacarevo, an air defence
operations centre at Rakovica, and a support base at Krivovo were also
attacked.


All NATO aircraft returned safely.