The United States is intensifying air operations over Iraq in a war of nerves which military experts say appears designed to show resolve and confuse Baghdad over a strike date.
The number of patrols by US and British aircraft to enforce "no-fly" zones over Iraq have increased recently and, on Thursday, an area 240 miles soutwest of Baghdad was the subject of heavy bombing.
The US have denied there was anything unusual in the attack on what they claim was an air defence installation but the Iraqis say the target was civilian.
US Central Command said in Washington the strike responded to an Iraqi attack on allied aircraft patrolling the southern no-fly zone.
But Iraqi state newspapers quote an unidentified Iraqi military spokesman as saying enemy warplanes had attacked "civil and service installations" in the al-Rutbah area.
"There is heavy volume up there right now and they are using a variety of warplanes ... it is again more than usual," one Western defence source told Reuters.
Defence sources in the Gulf said that a larger number of aircraft were seen involved over Iraq in recent days, including Thursday's strike.
"I think this is the most sorties they have made since 1998," a Western source said, referring to the time when Washington and London launched a four-day military campaign against Iraq in December.
Gulf Arab bases, including Kuwaiti facilities, were used in that attack, but Saudi Arabia and most other Arab states have opposed new military action against Iraq.
"This is the scenario to pressure him (Saddam) in a war of nerves," said an Arab defence official of the stepped-up military operations. One expert said the United States appeared to want to keep Baghdad "on its toes for the next few weeks".
Kuwaiti and US officials in the oil-rich state also gave details of shipments of heavy weapons and equipment to the area, but said this was for scheduled military manoeuvres near Iraq's border, not for any strike against Baghdad.
"The equipment will take part in 'Desert Spring' [exercises] this fall," a US officer told Reuters.
