On 25 February, the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) 604th Infantry Brigade (from Sirte) and the Rapid Intervention Battalion RIB-87 conducted a military operation around 50km inside Nigerien soil in the Libya-Niger border area against positions of the South Liberation Operations Room (SLOR), a group led by Tebu commander Mohamed Warduko.
According to the LNA, the operation succeeded in freeing LNA hostages who had been captured at the end of January in the attack on the al-Toum crossing, and several SOLR militia fighters were arrested. The LNA statement called it ‘a precise and successful operation on the southern border’ and said it will ‘continue our security and military operations to eradicate the sources of terrorism and organized crime and ensure that such attacks are not repeated.’
Meanwhile, the SLOR claimed that ‘limited armed clashes’ took place on 24 and 25 February along the southwestern border strip between Libya and Niger, following an infiltration attempt carried out by LNA forces, supported by foreign mercenaries. It said that LNA-affiliated groups managed to reach one of its key logistical sites on the Libyan–Nigerien border, triggering direct confrontations with a unit stationed at there. It said the clashes resulted in the killing of two personnel, as well as the injury and capture of several members of the unit.
On 27 February, the SLOR conducted a retaliatory attack on the LNA-Chadian joint force at the ‘Well-50’ location at the border with Chad, killing and injuring dozens of both Libyan and Chadian forces. The SLOR attack on the ‘Well-50’ location was reportedly preceded by an aerial strike of an unknown origin. Other reports indicate this was an explosion from a landmine. The LNA then responded to the attack, At least one video clip shows an LNA-linked munition drone flying into a SLOR vehicle. The LNA leadership paid tribute to the 604 Brigade members killed in the fighting.