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NATO’s military mission in Libya has finally come to an end. The decision comes after the 15-nation United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to end the mandate that had authorized military action in Libya. NATO allies have hailed the mission a success, with no casualties on their side and few civilian deaths. Cash-strapped governments have been eager to bring their planes home and focus on the bigger war in Afghanistan. NATO decided to end the mission even though interim Libyan leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil asked for the alliance to stay until the end of the year, warning on Wednesday that Gaddafi loyalists still posed a threat. Unified Protector, the name of NATO’s Libya operation, was intended to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under attack or threat of attack. NATO aircraft will continue to monitor the situation on the ground until Monday.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is the secretary-general of NATO, said in a statement that “We have fully complied with the historic mandate of the United Nations to protect the people of Libya, to enforce the no-fly zone and the arms embargo. In another statement he said that Operation Unified Protector is one of the most successful in NATO history and they are concluding it in a considered and controlled manner because their military job is now done.

The military action in Libya had divided the U.N., with Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa accusing the alliance of breaching the Security Council mandate. Interim Libyan leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil had asked the alliance to stay until the end of the year, warning on Wednesday that Khadafi loyalists still posed a threat. Jalil’s fears were heightened by reports that Khadafi’s former intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, who fled Libya, had since passed from Niger into Mali. Officials pointed to comments from Qatar’s top general, who said that Western countries had proposed setting up a new alliance headed by Qatar to support Libya after NATO ends its mission. NATO officials said members of the alliance were free to give further security aid to Libya individually.

Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbara, who was reporting from Tripoli, said that Libya’s new administration may seek international help in certain security matters, including the control of its borders. He also said that Libya has been asking about striking a new deal with NATO or with other allies such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to help them build a new army and police force.