Militärschlag gegen Libyen # 20.03.2011 09 Uhr # Journal English

A coalition of western nations has launched military strikes against Libya. The United States, Britain and France have targeted air defence installations with jet fighters and cruise missiles. The US says it's the beginning of a 'multi-phase' operation to enforce a UN-mandated no-fly zone and to protect Libyans from government forces. Libyan state television says the strikes have caused civilian casualties, reporting 48 dead and 150 wounded. The Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi has condemned the strikes as 'colonial aggression' and has declared the Mediterranean a 'battlefield'.