▁with ▁additional ▁ships , ▁sub mar ines ▁and ▁mar itime ▁surve ill ance ▁aircraft ▁from ▁NAT O ▁members . ▁They ▁were ▁to ▁" mon itor , ▁report ▁and , ▁if ▁needed , ▁inter dict ▁vessels ▁sus pected ▁of ▁carrying ▁illegal ▁arms ▁or ▁mer cen aries ". ▁The ▁no - fly ▁zone ▁was ▁enfor ced ▁by ▁aircraft ▁transferred ▁to ▁Un ified ▁Prote ctor ▁from ▁the ▁international ▁coal ition , ▁with ▁additional ▁aircraft ▁from ▁NAT O ▁and ▁other ▁al lied ▁nations . ▁The ▁air ▁strik es , ▁although ▁under ▁central ▁NAT O ▁command , ▁were ▁only ▁conducted ▁by ▁aircraft ▁of ▁the ▁nations ▁agree ing ▁to ▁en force ▁this ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁UN ▁resolution . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Lib yan ▁conflict ▁▁ ▁With ▁Operation ▁Un ified ▁Prote ctor , ▁NAT O ▁is ▁involved ▁in ▁an ▁internal ▁Lib yan ▁conflict , ▁between ▁those ▁seeking ▁to ▁dep ose ▁the ▁country ' s ▁long - time ▁national ▁leader ▁Mu am mar ▁G add af i ▁and ▁pro - G add af i ▁forces . ▁The ▁conflict ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁non - pe ace ful ▁dis orders , ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁bro ader ▁Arab ▁Spring ▁movement , ▁which ▁G add af i ' s ▁security ▁services ▁attempted ▁to ▁repr ess , ▁but ▁which ▁soon ▁developed ▁into ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁u pr ising . ▁ ▁The ▁situation ▁further ▁es cal ated ▁into ▁armed ▁conflict , ▁with ▁reb els ▁establish ing ▁a ▁prov is ional ▁government ▁named ▁the ▁National ▁Trans itional ▁Council ▁based ▁in ▁eastern ▁city ▁of ▁Beng