NATO airstrikes have killed three people and wounded 150 after a heavy explosion in Tripoli on Tuesday, Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said.

Ibrahim said the strikes had targeted a compound of a tribal-based military detachment. The compound was empty but the people living in the surrounding areas were affected, he said.

“At least a dozen of blasts were reported and also heard the planes overhead. Clouds of smoke were raising form the blast area. Authorities have taken foreign journalist to view casualties in a hospital,” reports Reuters correspondent from the scene.

NATO is implementing a UN resolution and has been carrying out air strikes for more than two months to protect civilians from Muammar Gaddafi's forces.

“We have degraded his war machine and prevented a humanitarian catastrophe. And we will continue to enforce the U.N. resolutions with our allies until they are completely complied with, U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron wrote in The Times of London.

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