Misfired Patriot missile hits farm in Qatar

WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) US forces in Qatar accidentally fired a Patriot missile at a farm in the Gulf Arab state, but caused no injuries, the Pentagon said today.

The US military is investigating the missile launch, first reported by Al Jazeera television. The Patriot system is an anti-missile system.

''Those things are not supposed to accidentally discharge,'' said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman. ''It was not supposed to happen.'' Whitman said the missile was fired into an unpopulated farm area.

Al Jazeera said the missile was fired from Assayliyah base.

US-allied Qatar was a launch pad for the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

REUTERS RSA RAI2204