Clashes renew in eastern Libya
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Xinhua, March 23, 2011
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa denounced the military intervention as "terrible," and called for an "immediate ceasefire" to make way for peaceful negotiations.
Reports said at least 64 Libyans had been killed and 150 others wounded since Saturday and most of Libya's civil airports and seaports were destroyed.
France, Britain and the United States launched airstrikes against Libya on Saturday after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Thursday to impose a no-fly zone over Libya and authorize all necessary measures, excluding ground troops, to safeguard Libyan civilians.
The three Western powers and others have since launched several rounds of airstrikes and missile attacks on Libyan targets.
Canadian CF-18 Hornet jet fighters Monday flew their first mission to help enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.
Speaking to a Pentagon briefing live from his headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, Commander of U.S. Africa Command Gen. Carter Ham said Monday the coalition was achieving its military objectives in Libya.
He said the no-fly zone imposed upon Libya was expanding and would soon cover a 1,000-km area, including the capital Tripoli, to make it possible for humanitarian relief to enter that country.
Ham said the allies were not coordinating directly with Libyan anti-government forces, but planes of Libyan government forces had been grounded, and advances against rebel stronghold Benghazi had been stopped.
Ham said coalition planes flew some 70 to 80 sorties over Libya on Monday, more than half of them by non-U.S. planes. He expected the frequency of the flights to decrease.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to meet to discuss the situation on Thursday at the request of the Libyan government.
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