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NATO extends mandate of Libyan operations until the end of the year

Other News Materials 21 September 2011 19:57 (UTC +04:00)
The mandate for NATO's military operations in Libya has been extended by a further three months, diplomats in Brussels said Wednesday,

The mandate for NATO's military operations in Libya has been extended by a further three months, diplomats in Brussels said Wednesday, DPA reported

The decision was taken during a regular meeting of NATO ambassadors at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, sources said.

The current mandate for the "Unified Protector" mission, which involves airstrikes on military targets to prevent attacks on civilians, a naval arms embargo and the enforcement of a no-fly zone, was due to end next week.

In an interview with the German Press Agency dpa last week, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen suggested that the alliance would prolong its mission, but would not necessarily make full use of its extended mandate.

"We can terminate our operation ... as soon as the situation allows," he stressed.

The NATO mission started on March 31, when it took over from an impromptu coalition led by France, Britain and the United States.

While acting under a United Nations mandate to stop attacks on civilians, NATO's strikes on pro-Gaddafi forces have cleared the way for rebel fighters to take over most of Libya.

According to the latest tally, updated to Tuesday, NATO has so far conducted 8,751 strikes sorties on Libyan territory.

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