• US announces Operation Odyssey Dawn is under way
• More than 100 Tomahawk missiles fired on Libyan targets
• British and French forces in action over Libya
• Read a summary of the latest events here
• Read our latest news story on the military action
There are reports that a Libyan journalist, who ran a website detailing the Gaddafi regime's attacks and providing commentary on the uprising, was killed on Saturday in Benghazi.
Mohammed al-Nabbous, who founded a livestream channel called Libya al-Hurra, or Free Libya, is said to have been hit by sniper fire as Gaddafi's forces attacked the city.
Muammar Gaddafi has appeared on Libyan television, saying he will arm civilians to defend Libya from what he called "colonial, crusader" aggression by Western forces that have launched air strikes against him:
It is now necessary to open the stores and arm all the masses with all types of weapons to defend the independence, unity and honour of Libya.
We call on the peoples and citizens of the Arab and Islamic nations, Latin America, Asia and Africa to stand by the heroic Libyan people to confront this aggression, which will only increase the Libyan people's strength, firmness and unity," he said.
Gaddafi warned that the entire Mediterranean and north Africa region were now a battleground.
The Guardian's Chris McGreal is in Benghazi and sends this eye-witness account of the first wave of attacks:
The blasts that came as dusk fell were unusual – the sound was deeper, the explosions larger – and were taken in Benghazi as confirmation that the foreign air strikes to stop Muammar Gaddafi's war on his own people had finally begun.
But there was little of the celebration in the rebel stronghold that had greeted the imposition of the UN no-fly zone just two days before. The assault by plane and ship was met with relief that at last help had come and a hope among many that the scale of the western attack – with French, British and US missiles blasting Gaddafi's tanks, air defences and much else - was an indication that despite the official denials, regime change is the goal.
But all of that only went some way to offset a widespread anger and even bitterness that the air strikes were not in time to prevent what appeared to be Gaddafi's last role of the dice – a bloody assault on the city that was the cradle of the revolution against his despotic 42 year rule.
The Guardian's Washington bureau chief Ewen MacAskill reports that US secretary of defence Robert Gates has been forced to cancel his trip to Russia planned for tomorrow:
Defence secretary Robert Gates had been due to fly to Russia today, arriving in St Petersburg on Sunday morning for two days and then on to Moscow. There was little of substance planned, other than a meeting with Russia's president Medvedev. He was scheduled to spend Sunday visiting the Hermitage museum and art gallery.
Gates is due to retire later this year and the trip was a sort of farewell visit by the ex-CIA director: Old Cold Warrior visits old battleground. But Gates, who was the least enthusiastic member of the Obama cabinet about military involvement in Libya, has had to stay at home, canceling his Russia trip to co-ordinate the campaign against Libya.
Air strikes by Western forces near Libya's city of Misrata have attacked a military airport where Muammar Gaddafi's loyalists are based, two residents have told Reuters, denying reports on Libyan state TV that fuel depots were hit.
The base is 7km (four miles) from the city, which is Libya's third largest and is the last rebel holdout in the west of the country. "The international forces struck Gaddafi battalions in the air military college, but some of the (government) forces fled shortly before the attack," resident Abdulbasset told Reuters by phone.
Another resident said he had heard a loud explosion coming from the direction of the airbase.
The New York Times has significant behind-the-scenes details from the Paris summit, with claims that France's unilateral decision to strike Libya "angered some of the countries gathered at the summit meeting" – and suggestions that France blocked earlier Nato action.
The implication is that Nicolas Sarkozy wanted the limelight while the Paris summit was under-way.
That news [of French air strikes] came even before the Paris summit meeting adjourned, with President Nicolas Sarkozy announcing that French warplanes had begun reconnaissance missions around Benghazi, and the French military saying that a Rafale jet fighter had destroyed a government tank near there.
Even though the leaders at the Paris summit meeting were united in supporting military action, there were signs of disagreement over how it would proceed.
Two senior Western diplomats said the Paris meeting, which was organized by Mr Sarkozy, may actually have delayed allied operations to stop Colonel Gaddafi's troops as they were approaching Benghazi. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on the matter.
The initial French air sorties, which were not coordinated with other countries, angered some of the countries gathered at the summit meeting, according to a senior Nato-country diplomat. Information about the movement of Gaddafi troops toward Benghazi had been clear on Friday, but France blocked any Nato agreement on airstrikes until the Paris meeting, the diplomat said, suggesting that overflights could have begun Friday night before Mr Gaddafi's troops reached the city.
To recap, here's details from the statement published earlier by the US Department of Defence:
Operation Odyssey Dawn is commanded by US Navy Adm Samuel J Locklear aboard the command ship USS Mount Whitney. The Mount Whitney joins 24 other ships from Italy, Canada, the United Kingdom and France in launching the operation.
Cruise missiles from US submarines and frigates began the attack on the anti-aircraft system. A senior defense official speaking on background said the attacks will "open up the environment so we could enforce the no-fly zone from east to west throughout Libya."
In addition to the cruise missiles, the United States will provide command and control and logistics. American airmen and sailors also will launch electronic attacks against the systems.
The United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada already have announced that they are part of the coalition. Officials expect Arab countries will publicly announce their participation soon.
Libya's state television is reporting that Muammar Gaddafi will shortly make an address to the people of Libya "on the Crusader's aggression".
State television is even running the message on screen in English, to make sure the message gets across.
Here is the full text of the statement by President Obama, speaking in Brazil after the launch of Operation Odyssey Dawn:
Today I authorised the armed forces of the United States to begin a limited military action in Libya in support of an international effort to protect Libyan civilians. That action has now begun.
In this effort, the United States is acting with a broad coalition that is committed to enforcing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which calls for the protection of the Libyan people. That coalition met in Paris today to send a unified message, and it brings together many of our European and Arab partners.
This is not an outcome that the United States or any of our partners sought. Even yesterday, the international community offered Muammar Gaddafi the opportunity to pursue an immediate cease-fire, one that stopped the violence against civilians and the advances of Gaddafi's forces. But despite the hollow words of his government, he has ignored that opportunity. His attacks on his own people have continued. His forces have been on the move. And the danger faced by the people of Libya has grown.
I am deeply aware of the risks of any military action, no matter what limits we place on it. I want the American people to know that the use of force is not our first choice and it's not a choice that I make lightly. But we cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people that there will be no mercy, and his forces step up their assaults on cities like Benghazi and Misurata, where innocent men and women face brutality and death at the hands of their own government.
So we must be clear: actions have consequences, and the writ of the international community must be enforced. That is the cause of this coalition.
As a part of this effort, the United States will contribute our unique capabilities at the front end of the mission to protect Libyan civilians, and enable the enforcement of a no-fly zone that will be led by our international partners. And as I said yesterday, we will not – I repeat – we will not deploy any US troops on the ground.
As commander-in-chief, I have great confidence in the men and women of our military who will carry out this mission. They carry with them the respect of a grateful nation.
I'm also proud that we are acting as part of a coalition that includes close allies and partners who are prepared to meet their responsibility to protect the people of Libya and uphold the mandate of the international community.
I've acted after consulting with my national security team, and Republican and Democratic leaders of Congress. And in the coming hours and days, my administration will keep the American people fully informed. But make no mistake: today we are part of a broad coalition. We are answering the calls of a threatened people. And we are acting in the interests of the United States and the world.
Good evening and welcome to our continuing live coverage as coaliton forces launch military action against Libya. You can read ourearlier live blog here. This is a summary of the events so far.
• Western planes are leading air strikes against Muammar Gaddafi's military as world leaders ordered the biggest intervention in the Arab world since allied forces invaded Iraq in 2003. The Pentagon announced that the action, codenamed Operation Odyssey Dawn, was under way.
• British and US forces have fired more than 110 Tomahawk missiles at targets in Libya. The Pentagon said the aim of the operation was to take out the Libyan air defence systems in order that piloted aircraft could enforce the UN-mandated no-fly zone.
• Al-Jazeera is reporting that Libya's rebel military council has been co-ordinating with international forces to identify the locations of Gadaffi's forces. Earlier in the day, the rebels lost their only aircraft when it was shot down over Benghazi, possibly by their own side.
• In Tripoli, Libyans loyal to Gaddafi scorned the UN resolution and blamed al-Qaida for the rebellion in their country. Ian Black, our Middle East editor, who is in the Libyan capital, says in this reportthat "patriotic songs boomed out from giant loudspeakers mounted in the centre of Tripoli's Green Square."
Read the Guardian's previous live blog of today's events here.
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