had crossed into the no-fly zone. The next day, US F-16s bombed Bashiqah Airfield and F-4 Phantoms attacked Iraqi air defense sites. Over the next few days and months, more Iraqi sites fired on the American patrols, and several were attacked. That August, the USAF deployed the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft to Turkey, and on 18 August, these aircraft dropped four laser-guided bombs on an Iraqi SA-3 site near Mosul. On 14 April 1994, two USAF F-15 Eagle fighters on patrol mistakenly downed two US Army Black Hawk helicopters carrying 26 Coalition citizens, killing all aboard. On 9 December 1995, F-4 Phantom II aircraft of the Idaho Air National Guard finished their tour of duty with Combined Task Force Provide Comfort at Incirlik Air Base. This was the last operational use of the F-4 Phantom by the USAF. In August 1996, Iraqi troops intervened in the Kurdish regions of Iraq, and the United States responded with Operation Desert Strike against targets in southern Iraq. As a result, some incidents occurred in northern Iraq, and the United States launched an operation to evacuate certain pro-American Kurds from northern Iraq. The operation ended officially on 31 December 1996 at the request of the Government of Turkey who wanted to improve relations with Iran and Iraq. It was followed by Operation Northern Watch, which began on 1 January 1997 with the mission of enforcing the northern no-fly zone. France declined to participate in Operation Northern Watch. See also Yeşilova incident References Further reading External links Humanitarian Operations in Northern Iraq: With Marines in Operation Provide Comfort Operation Haven Northern Iraq 1991 1991 in Iraq 1992 in Iraq 1993 in Iraq 1994 in Iraq 1995 in Iraq 1996 in Iraq Conflicts in 1991 Conflicts in 1993 Conflicts in 1996 Humanitarian military operations 20th-century military history of the United States Military operations involving France Military operations involving the United Kingdom Military operations involving the United States Military operations of the Gulf War Non-combat military operations involving Australia United States Marine Corps in the 20th century Iraq–United States relations Iraq–United Kingdom relations