British commander: Libyan air forces destroyed

Allied forces have destroyed the Libyan air force and are flying with impunity across its airspace, attacking ground troops wherever they threaten the civilian population, a senior British commander said on Wednesday.

"Effectively, their air force no longer exists as a fighting force, and his integrated air defence system and command and control networks are severely degraded to the point that we can operate with near impunity across Libya," Air Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell said. (Reuters)