WASHINGTON: Western-led strikes in Libya continued apace Saturday with 160 missions flown, compared to 153 a day earlier, the Pentagon said.
Two-thirds of the sorties (96) involved air strikes and the rest were for no-fly zone enforcement, according to data on the 24 hours ending Saturday at 1930 GMT, and released by the US Defence Department.
No-fly zone enforcement in the coming days will be handed over to NATO, while protecting civilians, which includes ground strikes on Libyan forces, is being done by international coalition forces.
Since March 19, when the military operations began, the coalition has flown 1,257 sorties, 540 of which included strikes.
The United States was providing most of the military heft with 787 sorties versus a total 470 for the other countries involved at this point: France, Britain, Canada, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Denmark and Qatar.
French, US and British air strikes against Qadhafi's regime began a week ago under a UN Security Council resolution that authorized "all necessary means" to protect civilians and set up a no-fly zone over the country.
Moamer Qadhafi's forces meanwhile pounded the rebel-held town of Misrata, 214 kilometres (132 miles) east of the capital Tripoli, on Friday and Saturday, leaving several people dead and wounded, witnesses and rebels told AFP.
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