Top officials from the United States, Europe and the Arab world have announced immediate military action to protect civilians amid combat between Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi''s forces and rebel fighters.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after an emergency summit in Paris on Saturday that France has already taken military action against Libya.

Sarkozy said "our determination is total."

Earlier Saturday, Libyan government troops forces stormed into the rebel capital of Benghazi, apparently ignoring a proclaimed cease-fire and potentially complicating any allied military action.

"Colonel Gaddafi has made this happen. He has lied to the international community, he has promised a ceasefire, he has broken that ceasefire," David Cameron told British television reporters after a meeting of international leaders in Paris.

"He continues to brutalise his own people and so the time for action has come. It needs to be urgent, we have to enforce the will of the United Nations and we cannot allow the slaughter of civilians to continue."

Initial reconnaissance flights were made by British, French and Canadian planes, with further intervention from other countries on standby. Germany has declared it will not intervene.