RAF aircraft 'shot down by US Patriot missile'

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday March 23, 2003 09:47 by friendly fire

Evidence suggests a missing British air force aircraft returning from an operation in the Gulf was shot down earlier today by a US Patriot missile battery, a British military official said. There was no immediate news of whether the crew survived, and the Ministry of Defence said they were missing. Group Captain Al Lockwood, a spokesman for British forces in the Gulf, said the aircraft may have been shot down over Kuwait in an apparent incident of friendly fire.