NATO has carried out 74 air strikes on Libya on the first day since taking full command of military operations from the US. NATO says since Thursday, 178 sorties have been concluded, but not all were air strikes.
Operation Unified Protector – seeking to protect civilians with targeted air raids on Libyan forces – was launched early on Thursday, taking over from an impromptu coalition coordinated by the United States, with France and Britain playing leading roles.
So far, 14 member countries have participated in the operation, providing 205 fighters and 21 warships. The US Department of Defense has announced the end of US air strike missions. Since the start of the coalition operation nearly two weeks ago, the US has sent in 90 jet fighters.
NATO has taken command of all maritime and air operations over Libya under Operation Unified protector. This is a story from the command centre of the Operation in Naples.
