Anti – 5 October 2015

Oct 5, 2015 | Libyan actors

On Friday 2 October, a small vessel headed towards the al-Mreissa port was attacked by the pro-Haftar LNA on suspicion of carrying militants and weapons for BRSC forces.

Between Friday 2 and Sunday 4 October, fighting resumed when IS militants staged an assault on the ‘400 Neighbourhood’ and Sahel area in Derna only to be rebuffed by forces of the Derna Mujahiddeen Shura Council (DMSC). As for the al-Fataiah area, fighting continued, particularly near to the al-Warsh district. Notably, media reports and videos emerging from this battlefield confirmed the presence of members of the al-Gotan tribe from Tubruq and the al-Baida-based Ali Hassan al-Jabar Brigade alongside DMSC forces.

Ajdabiyya has long had a strong Islamist presence, not just of Ansar al-Shari’a/IS elements, but also of other more moderate factions. As a result, Islamist groups have intermittently carried out armed struggles for control of the city, antagonising militias and armed groups affiliated with federalist leader Ibrahim Jadhran and Haftar. During the past week, however, fighting erupted not just between Islamist and non-Islamist forces, but also between pro-Haftar LNA troops and federalist forces.