Nineteen US planes, including three B2 stealth bombers, took part in early morning raids Sunday on targets in Libya, the US Africa Command, based in Germany, told AFP.

"What we are doing, with our coalition partners, is the initial phase of an operation to try to create the conditions to be able to set up a no-fly zone," spokesman Kenneth Fidler said.

The "very early morning" raids also involved F15s and F16s jet fighter planes and targeted Libyan "integrated air defence systems," he said.

He also put the number of Tomahawk missiles fired by the United States and Britain on Saturday at 124.

Top US military commander Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said earlier that the initial part of an international operation to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya "has been successful."

He said that as a result forces loyal to Moamer Kadhafi were "no longer marching on Benghazi," the eastern rebel-held city.