An Iraqi woman wades through the remnants of a relative's villa in the Al Adel neighborhood of Baghdad. (AFP)

By washingtonpost.com staff
Friday, Dec. 18, 1998

Allied forces flew more than 200 strike and strike-support sorties in the second wave of airstrikes, including the first combat operations of the B-1 bomber. The joint mission involved the U.S. Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps as well as British counterparts.

The first night's action, in contrast, primarily involved naval and Marine strike aircraft and ship-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles. U.S. missiles destroyed military intelligence headquarters and four Republican Guard barracks in Baghdad. Operation Desert Fox has hit more than 89 targets so far, according to Pentagon officials.

Navy F-14 Tomcat gun camera clip of attack on Al Qurnah military cable repeater site with two GBU16 laser-guided bombs. Click on image to see streaming video. (DOD)

Cruise missiles launched from B-52 aircraft caused some of the large explosions in the Baghdad area seen on television. Navy ships also launched additional Tomahawk missiles.

"The total number of air-launched and ship-launched cruise missiles for this operation thus far now exceed the total number expended during all of Operation Desert Storm," said Defense Secretary Cohen.

U.S. officials have called the bombing campaign a mixed success. Of five airfields attacked, for example, four suffered moderate damage or none at all; of 27 Iraqi surface-to-air missile sites targeted, eight emerged unscathed.

Pre-strike and post-strike shots of Iraqi military intelligence headquarters. Click on image to see enlarged map of Baghdad with detailed pop-up windows of target damage. (AFP)

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz announced that allied forces hit a broadcast facility in Baghdad and an oil refinery in Basra. Baghdad radio reported that the home of Saddam Hussein's daughter Hala was damaged but that no one was hurt.

Among first-wave targets elsewhere: