WASHINGTON -- Two U.S. ships pounded anti-aircraft positions east of Beirut Sunday in reaction to fire directed against American jets flying a reconnaissance mission over Lebanon, a Pentagon spokesman said.
The USS Ticonderoga and the USS Tattnall 'fired a total of 60 rounds from their five-inch guns,' the spokesman said, reading a statement.
'At approximately 1:18 p.m. Beirut time (6:18 a.m. EST) today, two F-14 aircraft were conducting a reconnaissance flight over Lebanon when anti-aircraft artillery fire was directed at them east of Beirut,' the statement said. 'U.S. Navy units immediately took the positions under fire.'
The spokesman said the two American planes 'were not hit and returned safely' to their carrier in the Mediterranean off the coast.
The shelling is part of a new U.S. policy of using naval fire power to retaliate for attacks on American planes flying over Moslem and Syrian controlled areas of Lebanon.
Two weeks ago, two American jets were shot downduring an airstrike against anti-aircraft positions that had fired on reconnaissance flights. That prompted a decision to have the Navy strike back whenever similar attacks occur.
