Report: Gulf States Call for No-Fly Zone in Libya

Gulf states have reportedly called for a no-fly zone to be imposed in Libya, according to a statement released Monday.

The statement, which was released by foreign ministers, also called for an urgent Arab League meeting to discuss the oil-rich north African nation, Reuters reports.

"[The foreign ministers] ...called on the ... [U.N.] Security Council to protect Libyan civilians, including through a no-fly zone," said a statement issued after the ministers' meeting, read by Abdulrahman al-Attiyah, secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council which groups regional countries.

The report came just hours after Britain and France indicated its intentions to draft a U.N. resolution that would establish a no-fly zone over Libya. A British diplomat at the U.N. stressed Monday that the resolution is being prepared as a contingency in case it is needed, but no decision has been made to introduce it at the U.N. Security Council.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.