WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Aircraft taking part in U.S.-British patrols over southern Iraq on Thursday attacked Iraqi air defense communications facilities in response to hostile fire, the U.S. military said.

The aircraft used precision-guided weapons to target Iraqi air defense communications near Al Kut, approximately 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, the Tampa, Florida-based U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

"Today's strike came after Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft artillery at coalition aircraft in the southern no-fly zone," said the command, which coordinates U.S. military operations in the Gulf area.

The strike occurred at about 3 p.m. EST and damage assessment was ongoing, the command said.

Thursday's attack was the latest in a lengthy series of tit-for-tat exchanges since the Gulf War. A recent escalation in the number of such incidents has coincided with the U.S. military build-up in the region ahead of a possible war against Iraq to eliminate its alleged banned weapons programs.

The U.S. Central Command said on Wednesday that Western aircraft attacked an Iraqi military air defense radar near Al Qurnah, 130 miles southeast of Baghdad, after the radar was moved into the no-fly zone.

No-fly zones were set up after the 1991 Gulf War to protect Kurdish rebels in the north and minority Shi'ite Muslims in the south.

Iraq, which does not recognize the no-fly zones, has accused the United States of targeting civilians and commercial activities.