WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Pentagon
confirmed Tuesday that a U.S. missile had been launched in Qatar by accident
earlier on the day but self-destructed later without causing any casualty.
The Patriot missile went off for an unknown reason
when a U.S. military unit at Camp As-Saliyah in Qatar was conducting exercises,
said Lieutenant General Carter Ham, director of operations of the Joint Staff.
The missile self-destructed as it is expected to do
and debris was found three or four miles away. "We're very happy that nobody was
injured in the incident," he said.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman earlier said that
the missile landed in an unpopulated farm area.
An investigation into the incident is undergoing by
the government of Qatar, US forces and the US embassy.
Qatar is home to the US army's Central Command and
two U.S. military bases in Qatar, As-Sailiyah and Al-Udeid.
