He was backed by Western countries and Arab allies in their bid to stop Kadhafi's offensive against rebels, but there was criticism from Russia and the African Union.

The first shots came after Sarkozy agreed at a Paris summit with European leaders, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Arab League envoys to use air power to enforce a UN resolution.

"In agreement with our partners, our air force will oppose any attack by Colonel Kadhafi's planes on the people of Benghazi," Sarkozy said, referring to the Libyan rebels' bastion.

"Our planes are already preventing air strikes on the city," he said.

In Washington later Saturday, a top military officer said US and British forces have fired at least 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Kadhafi's air defense sites.

Admiral William Gortney told reporters that "earlier this afternoon over 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from both US and British ships and submarines struck more than 20 integrated air defense systems and other air defense facilities ashore" in Libya.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said he held Kadhafi responsible for the situation in his country and that "the time for action" by the international community had come.

"Colonel Kadhafi has made this happen. He has lied to the international community, he has promised a ceasefire, he has broken that ceasefire. He continues to brutalise his own people," Cameron told British television.

Sarkozy, Cameron and Clinton discussed sharing out the military roles ahead of the summit, sources said. France and Britain would focus on air strikes, while other NATO countries would police the no-fly zone, the sources said.

Western nations have called for strong Arab support for the military operation after Arab League foreign ministers called for the no-fly zone over Libya last week.

In response, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa attended the Paris summit.

Qatar and several European nations, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway, confirmed their will to take part in a UN-sanctioned military intervention in Libya, a diplomat said.

Speaking after the meeting, Clinton said that the aim of the UN Security Council resolution passed Thursday was "to protect civilians and to provide access for humanitarian assistance" rather than specifically topple Kadhafi.

But, she said, "certainly the conditions that will unfold as we begin to enforce this resolution will make a new environment in which people are going to act, including those around Colonel Kadhafi."

UN chief Ban said that he found Libya's response in a telephone call to the UN resolution calling for a ceasefire "troubling".

Ban said his suspicions were aroused by what he described as a "troubling" telephone call from the Libyan prime minister on Friday night which asserted a ceasefire was in progress.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero said Spain would help set up the no-fly zone by providing an airborne refuelling plane and four F-18 fighters that would leave on Saturday for an Italian air base.

"We must help the Libyan people, help them now, or the threat to them and to the stability of the whole region will only increase, " Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.

Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme said: "Belgium will make available F-16s currently in southern Greece."

Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi confirmed that Italian bases would be available to help enforce the no-fly zone over its former colony, adding that further Italian participation could follow.

Russia regrets the armed intervention by foreign forces in Libya, foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement Saturday.

"In Moscow we regret this armed intervention within UN resolution 1973 which was adopted in haste," he said.

The statement also called for a ceasefire in the north African country as soon as possible.

A high-level African Union panel on the Libyan crisis Saturday rejected "any kind of foreign military intervention" there, Mauritanian President Ould Abdel Aziz said.

earlier related report
Hundreds flee as fighting rages around Libya's Benghazi
Benghazi, Libya (AFP) March 19, 2011 - Fighting raged around Libya's rebel stronghold of Benghazi Saturday, with air strikes, shelling and anti-aircraft fire rocking the Mediterranean city as a war plane went down in flames.

Hundreds were seen fleeing the city eastwards amid unconfirmed reports that forces loyal to Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi had entered the western suburbs of the city of more than one million people.

Tank fire was also heard from the south of the city as rebel fighters ran through the streets flashing V for victory signs and crying "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greatest".

The southern edge of Benghazi early morning suffered at least two air strikes and sustained shelling, sending thick smoke into the sky, an AFP reporter said.

A warplane was seen coming came down in a residential area of Benghazi with flames emerging from the rear fuselage, triggering celebratory gunfire from the rebels.

The pilot ejected from the aircraft, which was identified as a Russian-built MiG-23 fighter as used by the Libyan air force. However a number of military units defected to the rebellion soon after the revolt broke out.

The two air strikes occurred within 20 minutes of each other, but the planes responsible could not be immediately identified.

A series of small explosions, possibly from Katyusha rockets, also produced at least seven smaller columns of black smoke south of the city.

The government for its part said its armed forces were under attack west of Benghazi and had responded in self-defence.

"The gangs of Al-Qaeda attacked the units of the Libyan armed forces stationed to the west of Benghazi," a statement carried by the official Jana news agency said, using Tripoli's term for the insurgents.

The statement accused the rebels of using "a helicopter and a fighter jet to bomb the Libyan armed forces in blatant violation of the no-fly zone imposed by the UN Security Council."

On Friday evening, residents of Benghazi had braced for an imminent attack, after reports strongman Moamer Kadhafi's troops were just 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the city and planning an evening assault.

In Tripoli, Libya's deputy foreign minister had denied any plans to attack the rebel bastion and said the government forces would not breach the ceasefire.

"The armed forces are now located outside the city of Benghazi and we have no intention of entering Benghazi," Khaled Kaaim told reporters.

Kaaim also called for the immediate deployment of foreign observers, saying otherwise "the accusations and counter-accusations will not stop."

The air strikes came after the Libyan government said it was observing a ceasefire that it announced shortly after the United Nations voted to authorise use of force against Moamer Kadhafi's troops.

But the rebel forces who have been trying to overthrow the Libyan leader said his troops had continued to bombard cities, violating the ceasefire continuously since its declaration.

France was hosting Saturday what it said would be a "decisive" summit with the European Union, Arab League and African Union, as well as UN chief Ban Ki-moon, on taking UN-sanctioned military action in Libya.

France's ambassador to the United Nations, Gerard Araud, said he expected military intervention within hours of the summit.

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