WASHINGTON. Dec 31: The Pentagon said Wednesday it is going ahead with a draw-down of forces from the Gulf despite the second try in three days by Saddam Hussein's forces to shoot down Western warplanes patrolling a no-fly zone, reports AP.

US missiles blasted an Iraqi anti-aircraft site after Iraq fired on British patrols of the no-fly zone, the US government announced. Iraq said the attack killed a farmer and wounded two other civilians, although a US official questioned that claim.

After the attack, the Pentagon said it would continue with a reduction of troops, aircraft and ships in the Persian Gulf that took part in a midDecember attack on Iraq. The USS Enterprise carrier group is set to depart for the Mediterranean by week's end.

The forces left will be adequate to do what we need to do." said Lt Col Pat Sivigny, noting that a carrier, more than two dozen ships. 200 aircraft and 20.000 troops will remain.

During Operation Desert

Fox, two carriers, the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Enterprise, . about 40 ships, 350 aircraft and 29,900 troops were in the Gulf region.

In the latest US-Iraq confrontation. British bombers were targeted over southern Iraq by six to eight Iraqi missiles at about 9:30 am local time (0630 GMT) according to a British pilot who reported sighting the launches.

Four F-16 fighters and one EA-6B electronic warfare aircraft responded by firing two anti-radar missiles and dropping up to eight bombs, said Col Richard Bridges, a Pentagon spokesman. Four British and 20 American planes were on patrol at the time, he said.

"It appears we hit the targets." Bridges said, referring to the Iraqi air defence site.

The Pentagon said US and British planes returned safely to their bases Wednesday, although Iraq claimed it "almost certainly shot down a Western plane.”

Baghdad also claimed to have shot down an American plane in Monday's confrontation when Iraq fired three mis-

siles at US Warplanes patrolling the northern no-fly zone and US pilots destroyed the site with missiles and six laser-guided bombs. Iraq said four soldiers were killed and seven injured in that attack.

Bridges disputed claims that Western planes were hit in either incident. The Pentagon spokesman also questioned Iraq's allegation that the second attack near Talil killed a farmer and wounded two other civilians in a village.

"We don't target farmers." Bridges said. "We target SAM (anti-aircraft) sites."

Asked if the Iraqi missiles came close to hitting Western planes. Bridges said, "I have no indication they were anywhere near successful. "The Iraqis often turn on targeting radar at the last second — making it almost impossible to score a hit — In order to avoid drawing a radar-seeking missile response, he explained.

"I'm sure Saddam is hoping he's going to get lucky at some point." Bridges said. "We have robust rules of engagement that allow us to defend ourselves adequately"