US launches strikes against Libya

The US military has launched a missile attack against Libya’s air defences.

A senior US military official said the strike was aimed at sites along the Libyan coast.

The missiles were launched from US Navy vessels in the Mediterranean.

The official says the assault would unfold in stages and strike at air defence installations around Tripoli, the capital, and a coastal area south of Benghazi, the rebel stronghold under attack by Muammar Gaddafi’s forces.

Complete details were not immediately available.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive military operations.