25 Apr – 1 May: Ansar al-Sharia members allegedly involved in clashes near Derna

May 1, 2018 | Other Jihadi Actors

On 23 April, reports suggest the al-Qaeda affiliated jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia (AS) were involved in clashes between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) west of Derna near Wadi al-Arqub. This follows an arrest by the LNA earlier in the month on 12 April of an AS figure from Sirte named Salem Abdul Qaway al-Gaddafi while hiding in the Jufra area.

On 23 and 25 April, LNA sources report that the Derna Mujahadeen Shura Council (DMSC) conducted two operations against LNA positions west and south of Derna respectively, with the latter killing two LNA fighters after their tank was destroyed by a pre-planted mine.

On 25 April, an alleged ‘extremist cell’ was apprehended in al-Jufrah by LNA-affiliated forces. It is unclear to whom these supposed extremists are aligned.