On 3 September, Presidential Guard (PG) forces affiliated with Ayoub Abu Ras, formerly known as Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade (TRB), withdrew from...
Rada pushes Ayoub Abu Ras forces out of Tripoli
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Results for "Special Deterrence Force"
27 January- 02 February: Tripoli firefight between Emad Trabelsi forces and Rada
On 28 January, tensions boiled over between Emad Trabelsi’s General Security Force (GSF) and the Special Deterrence Force (Rada). On 26 January, clashes occurred between the 55 Battalion, aligned with the GNA Ministry of Defence, and the 3 Unit, aligned with the GNA Ministry of Interior. On 29 January, reports in local Libyan media claimed that the UN-mediated 5+5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) would hold its second meeting in Sirte on 4 February.
10 April – 16 April: GNA-aligned forces arrest ISIS member in Tripoli
On 13 April, the GNA Ministry of Interior announce the arrest of ISIS member Anas Abrik Zouki. On 11 April, ISIS claim to have killed six LNA fighters in Ghadduwa, in south-western Libya. On 11 April, ISIS released its Naba newsletter no. 177 , which included details on the group’s recent attacks on Fuqaha and Ghadduwa.
1 August – 7 August: Clashes between militia groups throughout Tripoli
On 1 August, the Special Deterrence Force (Rada) killed a man thought to be from the al-Burga militia in the Tajoura area of Tripoli. On 2 August, forces under Ghneiwa al-Kikli captured a clothes and textile factory in the Al-Hadba al-Badry area of Tripoli. On 31 July and 1 August, a series of clashes occurred between the Surman CID and the al-Nasr militia.
11 July – 17 July: ISIS suspect arrested in Brega
On 10 July, the LNA Criminal Investigations Department in Brega arrested an individual suspected of being an ISIS fighter. On 10 July, the Special Deterrence Forces (Rada) fighters raided the house of a suspected ISIS member in Tripoli. However, on 11 July Rada said that the assailant was not linked with ISIS.
17-24 October: The LNA and Haftar himself, strengthen ties in Libya’s west
Since taking control over Sabratha in early October, Khalifa Haftar has strengthened his relationship with several important military leaders in the west of Libya. This week Misratan General Salem Juha, endorsed Haftar as leader of the national army. It is reported that Haftar met with the GNA’s Commander of the Western Region during his trip to the UAE earlier last week. On October 20, a large militia in Sabratha, the Sareyyat al-Orouba, turned itself over to the LNA-affiliated AIOR. On 17 October, intense clashes erupted at Tripoli port after the GNA’s Presidential Guard and the Nawasi Brigade tried to take the port by force. The Presidential Guard secured the facility on 22 October, and it is now operational. On October 19, the Megarha tribe cut off water supplies to Tripoli, in an effort to secure the release of Mabrouk al-Hniesh from Rada Special Deterrence Force.
11-17 October: Agreement reached on families of Tunisian ISIS fighters held in Mitiga
On 14 October, Ahmed Ben Salem, the spokesman for RADA Special Deterrence Force based in Tripoli, stated that the group has come to an agreement with Tunisian authorities regarding the extradition of woman and children Tunisian prisoners held in Mitiga Prison. The Tunisian newspaper, Al-Sabah, reported that Ben Salem said the agreement entailed the extradition of twenty-one children.
5-12 September: DMSC Facing Backlash After Salafist Tortured and Killed in Derna
The DMSC is experiencing significant local backlash after the alleged abduction, torture and killing of a pro- LNA Salafist resident of Derna on 4 September. On 11 September, a key figurehead of the hardliner Islamist faction, Sheikh Abdul Razzag Emshirib, was reportedly detained by Tripoli’s GNA-aligned Special Deterrence Force (Rada).
Action — 7 Dec 2015
In Tripoli, pro-GNC militias captured an alleged member of ISIS last week. The captive, a Tunisian, detailed ISIS activities throughout Libya, implicating Murad Al-Gumati, leading to his murder by the Tripoli Rada militia (AKA special deterrence forces or – قوة الردع الخاصة). The incident follows on last week’s assault on an official of the religious affairs ministry who was accused of having ISIS affiliations. Although the Rada enjoys popularity in the capital as a keeper of law and order (such as these concepts are understood in Libya) the Salafist affiliation of Rada’s commander, Abdulraouf Kara, may have encouraged him to provoke a “black-on-black” fight between Islamist militias that are pro and anti-ISIS.
Western Libyan armed groups join rescue efforts in the east
There have been some significant signs of divisions being overcome as a result of the flooding tragedy in Derna. The arrival of the Tripoli-based...
ISIS mastermind of 2018 Tripoli attacks arrested in Tajoura
On 24 August, Government of National Unity (GNU) Prime Minister Abdul Hameed Dabaiba announced that a security operation carried out by the Special...
Tripoli clashes show absence of command and control in western Libya, Bathily tells UNSC
In his address to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 22 August, UN Special Envoy to Libya Abdoulaye Bathily said the recent clashes in...
Libyan and international actors condemn Tripoli clashes, call for end of hostilities
On 15 August, as the fighting intensified in Tripoli after the commander of the 444 Brigade, Mahmoud Hamza, was arrested by the Special Deterrence...
Clashes erupt in Tripoli after Rada seizes head of 444 Brigade
On 14 August, Mahmoud Hamza, the commander of the 444 Brigade, was arrested by the Special Deterrence Force (Rada) at Mitiga Airport while he was on...
Clashes erupt between Rada and 444 Brigade in Tripoli
On 28 May, fighting took place at several locations in Tripoli between the Special Deterrence Force (Rada) Rada and the 444 Brigade, including the...
Canada’s GardaWorld staff arrested at Mitiga Airport
On 12 April, several employees of Canadian security contractor GardaWorld were arrested at Mitiga Airport in Tripoli by the Special Deterrence...
Clashes between Rada and 111 Brigade on Airport Road
On 18 January, clashes broke out on Airport Road, in the Qasr Bin Ghashir in southern Tripoli, between Rada (Special Deterrence Force) and the 111...
Armed groups clash in Zawiyya
Beginning on 25 September and continuing until dawn on 26 September, clashes broke out between forces affiliated with the Commander of the Sila...
Juwaili holds meeting with pro-Dabaiba armed group leaders
On 26 July, Zintani Commander Osama Juwaili held a three-hour meeting with pro-Abdul Hameed Dabaiba, Government of National Unity (GNU) Prime...
Clashes in Tripoli between Rada and TRB
Beginning on the evening of 21 July and continuing intermittently until the early evening of 22 July, the Special Deterrence Force (Rada) and the...
Clashes between SSA and Rada in Tripoli’s Zawiyyat al-Dahmani neighbourhood
On 22 June, clashes broke out in Tripoli’s Zawiyyat al-Dahmani neighbourhood between the Stability and Support Apparatus (SSA) and the Special...
Militias vie for control of External Security Agency building in Tripoli
On 1 June, clashes broke out between forces aligned with Ayoub Abu Ras, including members of the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade (TRB) and the...
Zintani convoy under Juwaili mobilises to southern Tripoli
On the evening of 18 May, a large convoy affiliated to Juwaili headed to al-Swani in southern Tripoli from a base in al-Aziziyah. The 444 Brigade...
Rada receives shipment of 100-150 armoured vehicles from Tripoli Port
On 2 May, Special Deterrence Force (Rada) reportedly received a shipment of 100-150 armoured vehicles from Tripoli Port. Local media claimed that...
LNA blocks shipment of armed vehicles allegedly destined for Rada
On 15 March, it was reported the LNA forces aligned to Saddam Haftar (son of Khalifa Haftar) had seized a shipment carrying a hundred armoured...
Al-Far closes coastal road after militia member arrested by Rada
On 19 February, members of an armed group led by Mohammed Bahroun (also known as ‘al-Far’, the ‘Mouse’) closed the coastal road between Zawiyya and...
Rada commander and his family killed in their home in Tripoli
On 14 February, a Special Deterrence Force (Rada) commander, Ibrahim Zaghdud al-Naluti, was killed with his wife and children by unknown assailants...
GNU Minister of Health arrested at Mitiga Airport by Rada
On 25 January, the GNU’s Minister for Health, Ali al-Zanati, was arrested at Mitiga International Airport by the Special Deterrence Force (Rada). A...
Clashes between Rada and Nawasi at Tripoli Port
On 16 January, the Nawasi Brigade and the Special Deterrence Force (Rada) clashed at the roundabout by Tripoli port.
Rada publicly distances itself from the 444 Brigade
On 26 December, Tripoli’s Special Deterrence Force (Rada or the SDF) issued a statement distancing itself from the 444 Brigade and the current...
Arrest warrant issued for Saif al-Islam Qadhafi
On 11 August, the GNU Military Prosecutor, Mohammed Gharouda's, order for Saif al-Islam al-Qadhafi, the son of the former dictator Muammar...
Clashes break out in Tripoli between SSA and Rada
On 22 July, clashes broke out in Tripoli between the Stability Support Apparatus (SSA), led by Abdul Ghani al-Kikli, also known as ‘Ghinaywa’, and...
Archive Guide
How to use our archiveThe Libya Security Monitor (LSM) has an archive covering the most significant security incidents since June 2014. Our updates...
14 – 20 April: 444 Brigade shuts down militia HQs in Tripoli
On 12 April, the 444th Combat Brigade announced it had closed 11 militia headquarters in Tripoli. On 14 April, clashes broke out between members of the Kani militia and the LNA’s 166 Brigade. On 16 April, members of Abdul Ghani al-Kikli’s armed group abducted seven members of the Judicial Police.
14 –20 October: Notorious commander al-Bija detained
On 14 October, Rada reportedly detained the commander of the Zawiyyan Coastguard. On 15 October, GNA and LNA traded accusations of provoking altercations at the Sirte-Jufra frontline. On 16 October, the first flight from Tripoli’s Mitiga Airport arrived at Benghazi’s Benina Airport after more than a year. On 17 October, the LNA sent reinforcements belonging to the 128 Brigade. On 18 October, 12 unidentified bodies were found in mass graves in Tarhouna. On 19 October, military leaders met in Geneva for dialogues within the 5+5 JMC framework.
8-14 July: Rada arrests al-Qaida suspect
On 10 July, Rada arrested a suspected al-Qaida member in the Zawiyat al-Dahmani area of Tripoli.
29 April – 5 May: Rada arrests suspected ISIS member
On 28 April, the GNA Ministry of Interior-aligned Rada arrested suspected ISIS member Saaed Kamel Saaed Abdul Karim aka Aburami “Kimo” in Tripoli.
1 – 7 April: Rada allegedly releases jihadi prisoners
On 30 March, unverified Libyan news reports claimed the Tripoli-based Rada force released five members of the BRSC and the DRSC. On 6 April, the LNA claimed that a BRSC member was killed on the Wadi Rabea axis on the southern Tripoli frontlines.
12 – 17 December 2019: Unconfirmed reports of released BRSC fighters
During the last week, unconfirmed reports circulated suggesting Tripoli’s Rada released 29 members of the BRSC. This follows calls from Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Gharyani to release BRSC and DMSC fighters.
4 September – 10 September: Multiple alleged jihadists killed in Tripoli
On 7 September, media sources claimed that a former senior member of the Benghazi Shura Council, Salem-al-Zayani, was killed in clashes in southern Tripoli. On 7 September, media outlets reported that Islam Saleh Hassan al-Hassadi (aka Barjum) had been killed in the fighting on the Ain Zara Axis of Tripoli. On 7 September, Al-Fitouri Nasr Muhamed Dabbashi was reportedly killed on the Ain Zara Axis in southern Tripoli.
17 July – 23 July: Hashem Abedi extradited from Libya to the UK
On 17 July, Hashem Abedi, the brother of the suicide bomber Salman Abedi who blew himself up at a concert the British city of Manchester in May 2017, was extradited from Libya to the UK.
1 May – 7 May: ISIS attack LNA camp in Sebha
On 4 May, ISIS claimed an attack against the LNA’s 160 Brigade Jabril Baba training camp in Sebha. On 25 April, the GNA MoI arrested Yasser Saleh Khalifa al-Majri for his alleged membership to ISIS. On 25 April, ISIS fighters attacked the home of a LNA supporter, Khaloukh Massoud, in Ghadduwa.
20 March – 26 March: Rada arrest notable ISIS fighter in Ras Ajdir
On 22 March, Rada arrested a notable ISIS fighter from Sirte, Ahmed Masoud Ammari, On 22 March, a former local security force member thought killed by ISIS was found dead near al-Bartamah. On 21 March, the SPF disposed of three unexploded ordinances suspected of being from when ISIS had control of the city in 2016.
9 January – 15 January: Rada release details on suspects involved in ISIS attacks in Tripoli
On 7 January, Rada released information on individuals suspected of orchestrating recent ISIS attacks in Tripoli and the Oil Crescent. On 8 January, Fathi Bashaga suggests ISIS is operating freely in the greater Tripoli region. On 10 January, unconfirmed reports suggesting two ISIS fighters were arrested in Tripoli. On 9 January, the body of the former leader of ISIS in Libya, Abu Nabil al-Anbari, was uncovered in a mass grave in Derna.
2 January – 8 January: Ansar al-Sharia member arrested in Zawiyya
On 7 January, security forces arrested a former member of Ansar al-Sharia, Amad al-Ghariyani. On 2 January, Nigeria’s Defence Minister, stated that several Nigerien solders were attacked by ‘fundamentalist’ fighters based in Libya.
21 November – 27 November: ISIS launch an assault on the town of Tazirbu
On 23 November, ISIS launched an assault on the town of Tazirbu, northwest of Kufra, leaving at least 8 dead, 11 wounded and 17 kidnapped. On 24 November, RADA arrested a suspected ISIS leader in the city of Bani Walid.
14 November – 20 November: Hashem Abeidi to be extradited to the UK
On 14 November, it was announced that Hashem Abedi will be extradited to the UK. On 14 November, the 7th Brigade from Tarhuna clashed with Abu Salim Central Security forces in Tripoli. On 15 November, the Security Operations Room of Sabratha arrested the former head of the Sabratha Military Council.
10 October – 16 October: ISIS member connected to groups external operations captured
On October 12, ISIS member Abdelhakim al-Mashout was arrested. On 11 October, ISIS fighters established mobile checkpoints south of Sirte. On 14 October, the 128 Battalion captured the leader of ISIS in the Nawfaliyah area. On 10 October, a mass grave was uncovered in the al-Thahir area previously controlled by ISIS west of the city.
3 October – 9 October: GNA announces new security arrangements in Tripoli
On 6 October, the GNA and its new UN-backed Security Arrangements Committee announced new security arrangements in Tripoli. On 7 October, the GNA announced a reshuffle of its cabinet and assigned several new ministers.
19 September – 25 September: Tentative conclusion reached to the clashes in southern Tripoli
On 25 September, a ceasefire was brokered between the Tripoli Protection Force and Tarhuna’s 7th Brigade that saw the latter withdraw to the areas of control agreed in the UN-brokered ceasefire of 9 September. This coincided with forces under the command of Salah Badi retreating withdrawing from the Airport road.
5 September – 11 September: ISIS attack NOC HQ in Tripoli
On 10 September, three ISIS fighters raided Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) offices in central Tripoli, leaving at least two staff members dead and another 10 injured. The following day ISIS’s media wing, Nashir, claimed responsibility for the attack.
29 August – 4 September: Major conflict erupts between militias in Tripoli
Major conflict erupted between militias in Tripoli on 27 August that has expanded over the following days into what seems to be a semi-coordinated military campaign aimed at eradicating the power of Tripoli-based militias, by an alliance of forces primarily including Tarhuna, Misrata and Zintan.
10 – 16 Jan: Major clashes break out at Tripoli’s Mitiga airport leaving as many as twenty dead.
On 15 January, major clashes in Tripoli occurred between anti-Libyan National Army (LNA) and pro-Government of National Accord (GNA) militias at Mitiga airport. The attack was reportedly part of a ‘prison break’ assault by the anti-LNA militias from Tajoura (east Tripoli). As many as 20 people were killed and more than 60 injured as a result of the fighting.
29 Nov -5 Dec: Libyan Convicted Of Terrorism Charges For Attacks On US Diplomatic Mission In 2012.
On 28 November, Libyan national Ahmed Abu Khattala, was convicted of terrorism charges related to the 2012 September 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi and the attack on the nearby CIA annex on the 12th. The jury acquitted Khattala of 14 of the 18 charges, which included finding him not guilty of […]
15-22 August: Terror suspects tried over Corinthia attack in 2015
Two individuals were tried on terror charges in Tripoli after alleged involvement in a series of attacks in the capital, including the assault on the Corinthia Hotel in January 2015. The defendants have not been named and it is unclear how they came to be detained. BM forces published trailers of upcoming ‘confessions’ by Libyan ISIS fighters captured during fighting between BM and ISIS.
Other 6 Dec 16
Clashes between Islamist militias allied with the Mufti and nominally pro-GNA militias broke out in Tripoli last week, killing 8 people in locations across the city. A ceasefire is now in place but tensions remain high. In Benghazi, 9 LNA fighters were killed as the LNA attempts to cut off jihadi fighters in Ganfuda.
Other 5 Sept 16
In Derna, tensions between the Libyan National Army and jihadist forces are growing, with jihadist fighters attempting to launch a botched suicide attack against the LNA last week. There are reports of jihadist fighters from the Benghazi Defence Brigades tricking into Tripoli in anticipation of GNA fighters returning to the capital following the imminent defeat of ISIS in Sirte.
Other — 1 August 2016
The rising tide of dissatisfaction with the Government of National Accord (GNA) in western Libya is fueling the momentum of hardline Islamists and anti-GNA factions who held demonstrations on 29 July in Tripoli… In a key development, Wissam Ben Hamid, symbolic leader of the Benghazi Shura Revolutionary Council, appeared in a video published by the Benghazi Defense Brigades media outlet (Bushra) accusing Abdul Raouf Kara, the head of Rada, of being a hypocrite and equating him to Haftar. Rada is reportedly holding more than 200 militants thought to be affiliated with Ansar Al Sharia and ISIS.
Anti — 16 May 2016
In eastern Libya, the Libyan National Army (LNA) is preparing for a new offensive against the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) and other jihadists belonging to Al Qaeda and Ansar Al Sharia (AAS). On 11 May, LNA spokesperson Ahmed El Mesmari held a press conference in Benghazi to outline the LNA’s progress in Derna. He […]
Action 22 Dec 2015
Rumors are rife throughout Sirte and local social media regarding the arrival of key ISIS personalities from Iraq…. In Tripoli, a Sufi Zawiya (shrine) was bombed in the city center area of Abu Meshmasha in the late hours of Monday 21 December.
9 May – 15 May: PC expand powers of Rada while fighting continues in southern Libya
On 11 May, the Presidential Council (PC) in Tripoli announced a decree that would significantly expand the powers of the Special Deterrent Forces (Rada). The GNA’s MoI established a new force called the ‘Special Operations Force’ (SOF). On 11 May, the Libyan Air Force had conducted strikes on fuel smugglers sites on the Libyan-Tunisian border. On 12 May, Tebu fighters managed to advance and take control of vital locations in south Sebha from their rivals the Awlad Suliman.