NATO will soon launch an operation to enforce an arms embargo against Libya, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Tuesday.
The decision was made by NATO ambassadors in Brussels and aims to "stop the intolerable violence against Libyan civilians."
Rasmussen said NATO warships and aircraft in the central Mediterranean will "monitor, report and, if needed, interdict vessels suspected of carrying illegal arms or mercenaries."
"This will be done in close coordination with commercial shipping and regional organizations," he said.
NATO would welcome contributions from its partners "to our endeavor," Rasmussen added.
The UN Security Council on Thursday imposed a no-fly zone over Libya allowing "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from leader Muammar Gaddafi's attacks on rebel-held towns.
Operation Odyssey Dawn entered its third night of airstrikes on Libyan air defenses on Monday. Libyan state television has reported that at least 60 civilians have been killed and over 150 wounded.
BRUSSELS, March 22 (RIA Novosti)
