NATO carried out 74 airstrikes in Libya during the first day since taking over full command of military operations from the United States on Thursday, the western military alliance said on Friday.

Since the start of the NATO-commanded mission, code-named Unified Protector, a total of 178 sorties have been conducted, including 74 strike sorties, NATO said in a statement.

Seventeen naval vessels under NATO command are patrolling the Central Mediterranean to enforce arms embargo on Libya, a part of the NATO mission, the statement said.

Two ships were stopped to "determine destination and cargo", but "no boardings were required," according to the statement.