Strikes against Libyan military targets begin

A French military plane has fired the first shots at Libyan military targets as part of an international campaign to protect civilians from Colonel Gaddafi's regime.

Twenty French aircrafts are enforcing the UN no-fly zone and are reported to have destroyed a number of Libyan tanks and armoured vehicles.

British fighter planes are also expected to join in the operation. It comes after European, American and Arab leaders met in Paris to agree what action to take against the Libyan leader.

The BBC's Europe Editor Gavin Hewitt reports.