On Tuesday , 24 September , the Italian Stefani news agency reported : " As a reprisal for the bombardment of Dakar yesterday morning , one @-@ hundred @-@ and @-@ twenty French aircraft based in Morocco attacked Gibraltar . " On the same day , the United Press Agency reported : " The French government has issued an official denial of reports , according to which French aircraft were said to have attacked Gibraltar . Up until now , no reprisals have been undertaken . " But the United Press report ended on an ominous note with : " French reprisals are imminent . "