ISIS

On 24 July, ISIS fighters raided a police station in al-Uqaylah, west of Brega, destroying at least two vehicles with unconfirmed reports suggesting that multiple officers were killed and at least one was beheaded.

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.

On 4 July, ISIS branch in eastern Libya, known as Wilayat Barqah, released a new video titled “Point of Death” documenting its recent activity in Libya. On 6 July, ISIS published a photo showing the captivity of LNA fighters who had been abducted just over a week before.

On 30 June, Sirte security forces declared a state of alert following reports of ISIS movement in the southern part of the city. On 28 June, airstrikes targeting Benghazi Defence Brigade (BDB) and ISIS locations were reported near Bani Walid.

On 26 June, ISIS fighters kidnapped two Libyan National Army (LNA) officers while they participated in a social gathering in the desert area between Zallah and Waddan. The officers were identified by their military IDs. In the most recent edition of their digital newspaper, al-Naba, ISIS claimed to have undertaken two attacks on LNA checkpoints near […]

On 14 June, unconfirmed reports suggest ISIS and Benghazi Defence Brigade fighters were spotted near the village of Harawa, 50 km east of Sirte. Libyan National Army al-Saiqa Special forces are said to have mobilized to the location in response to the reports.

On 6 June, local sources claim that ISIS fighters established a fake checkpoint between Zillah and Waddan in the Jufra region and fired upon a vehicle killing two civilians. However, in contrast to this version of events, ISIS published a claim stating that its fighters had killed two LNA soldiers during clashes at an LNA checkpoint in the Jufra district.

On 2 June, ISIS fighters attacked a police station in al-Qanan, 10km south-east of Ajdabiya, killing a civilian and injuring another five. No police were injured or killed despite two police cars being set aflame. The casualties were allegedly a family in a car passing by the raid. A go-pro camera recovered at the scene by the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) 21 Infantry Brigade has shown that the raid involved 8-9 fighters.

On 23 May, ISIS claimed responsibility for the two attacks that occurred in the Oil Crescent on May 22 – a suicide vehicle-borne improved explosive device (SVBIED) targeted the Libyan National Army (LNA) 152 Brigade Gate 60, south east of Ajdabiya, while gunmen attacked an LNA checkpoint north of Awjilah kidnapping two guards.

On 11 May, local sources from Sirte reported that ISIS fighters were seen moving in the valleys, southeast of the city. On 14 May, 20 Egyptian Coptic Christian killed by ISIS in 2015 near Sirte were returned back to Egypt.

On 2 May, Islamic State fighters attacked the HNEC building in the Ghout al-Shaal area of Tripoli. As many as 16 people were killed and more than 19 were injured. On 5 May, ISIS claimed its fighters undertook two attacks on the LNA in the Wahat province in late April. On 8 May, ISIS undertook an SVBIED attack on an LNA controlled checkpoint near Bin Jawwad 70 km from Ras Lanuf, killing two and injuring four.

On the 26 April, Sirte security forces found a body in an orange jumpsuit, thought to have been killed by ISIS. It is unclear if the body was from a recent killing or from when ISIS controlled the city up until late 2016.

On 19 April, civilians were injured in a shooting after they were stopped at an ISIS checkpoint near Marada.

There were no developments reported this week.

On 7 April, local Libyan National Army (LNA) affiliated security apprehended a suspected ISIS member who was allegedly preparing to conduct an attack against LNA forces in the coastal town of Zueitina.

On 29 March, ISIS undertook a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED) attack on the southern entrance to Ajdabiya killing 5 people, wounding 6 and damaging at least 6 vehicles. On 2 April, Presidential Council (PC) spokesperson Mohammed al-Sallack announced the launch of a new military operation dubbed Asifat al-Wattan (The Nation’s Storm) with the aim of ending ISIS’s militant presence in Libya.

There were no ISIS-related developments reported this week.

On 13 March, a Libyan news outlet published an article suggesting that ISIS intends to take control over a specific Oil Crescent town. The article alleged that it had been following several members online through social media.

On 11 March, the LNA spokesperson announced that its Sirte Operations Room had killed three ISIS leaders fleeing Derna. On 8 March, a SVBIED attacked a LNA checkpoint south east of Ajdabiya. Two Sudanese civilians and one LNA fighter were reportedly wounded.

On 28 February, US law enforcement officials stated that twenty year old Bernard Raymond Augustine from Keyes in the US, accused of trying to enter Libya to join ISIS, had been arrested. Augustine had been returned to the US from Tunisia after being first arrested in Tunisia in 2016.

On 21 February, at 9:15 in the morning, an ISIS Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) drove into the LNA 127 infantry battalion at a checkpoint near Waddan in the Jufra district. The attack killed three LNA fighters and wounding two more.

On 18 February, Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui is reported to have stated in an address at the Munich Security Conference in Germany that ISIS will attempt to return to Libya following its defeat in Iraq and Syria.

On 10 February, three LNA officers belonging to the 165th Brigade were injured in a VBIED attack on their position at the 90km checkpoint, 60 km east of Sidra. The driver of the vehicle is suspected of being an ISIS fighter.

On 30 January, Indian media reported that an Indian national, who is said to have joined ISIS in Libya in 2016, is allegedly being held in a Libyan jail. On 31 January, the LNA claimed two ISIS affiliates had been killed in clashes in Brak al-Shatti. On 2 February, two purported members of ISIS were killed in fighting near Maradah. On 3 February, three alleged ISIS fighters were also killed in clashes near Waha Company’s Dahra oil field.

On 27 January, a cooperative effort began between the al-Bunyan al-Marsous Security Directorate of Sirte and the Red Crescent of Misrata to recover the bodies of ISIS fighters buried in Sirte’s neighborhood 600 and 656.

On 15 January, Ghanaian security forces arrested three returnees from Libya planning a terrorist-related attack. One of the suspects, Ishmael Ali Musa, is alleged to have connections to ISIS in Libya.

On 11 January, a would-be ISIS bomber surrendered himself to al-Bunyan al-Marsous (BM) forces after defusing the bomb he was instructed to detonate. On 14 January, BM forces arrested an Egyptian who was allegedly hiding and transporting ISIS fugitives out of Sirte.

On 9 January, Tripoli’s Special Deterrent Force (Rada) announced the arrest of two ISIS fighters who confessed to being responsible for the failed Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) bombing in the al-Dreibi District in southwest Tripoli on 6 January.

Photos of GNA affiliated forces show the continual removal of ISIS IEDs from the Sirte area, while there are reports of ISIS-sympathetic telegram accounts accusing the BRSC of having a deal with the Libyan National Army.

On 24 December, a mass gave thought to contain the bodies of as many as twenty ISIS fighters was uncovered in the al-Manara neighborhood of Sirte following a report from a local resident. Al-Manara saw the most intense clashes between ISIS and the al-Bunyan al-Marsous forces prior to the former’s defeat in the city in […]

On 12 December, DMSC members arrested some alleged ISIS members in Derna including Mahmoud Mohammed al-Souainay. On 14 December, DMSC fighters arrested Souhail Rizk al-Oakley, in al-Maghar area in the centre of Derna, for the second time. On 13 December, reports indicated that the body of a young man which showed signs of being executed was found in Nufaliya, a town east of Sirte.

The anti-crime department of Misrata published a video ‘confession’ of an ISIS member who revealed details of the beheading of Egyptian Coptic Christians in 2015. On 10 December, the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council (DMSC) undertook a raid on an ISIS cell in Derna that concluded with the arrest of the entire cell and the death of ISIS member.

On 3 November, Zarouk Asuiti, the head of the activation committee of security services in Sirte, stated he has received information suggesting ISIS is regrouping in the valleys south of the city. The Libyan Air Force are said to be flying Mi-35 helicopters over Nawfaliyah-Bin Jawad area following reports of ISIS activity in the area.

Last week, the LNA declared the Oil Crescent to be a closed military zone after a number of ISIS convoys were seen inside Harawah town, between Sirte and Sidra. On 26 November, al-Ghani oil field was ransacked and buildings torched by unknown assailants. The LNA announced it captured Dernawi ISIS fighter Anis Bualjieh Awami last month.

On 15 November, the Libyan National Army (LNA) conducted two airstrikes against an ISIS target in the desert 90km south of Harawah, southeast of Sirte. On 17 November, the US reportedly conducted a drone strike against ISIS targets in the desert south of Sirte, reportedly with success, but no information has yet been officially released.

ISIS established temporary checkpoints 70 km south of Sirte on the road to Waddan and also near Bohadi village in the same district, on the 8 and 13 November respectively. ISIS’s claims its fighters repelled an attack by the LNA in Cyrenaica on 2 November.

On 4 November, an LNA security post on the road between Jufra and Brak al-Shatti in south-west Libya was attacked by unknown assailants, killing two people. Reports that ISIS fighters still present on the coast east of Sirte.

The ISIS Amaq news agency claimed responsibility for the 25 October, attack on the ‘Tisan’ checkpoint south of Ajdabiya, which killed at least 3 LNA fighters and left another two injured. Survivors report that the assailants arrived in 7 vehicles and set the entire checkpoint on fire after seizing the LNA’s firearms. It was reported that on 29 October, ISIS fighters established a temporary checkpoint on the coastal highway 20km east of Sirte. The area in question is considered to be under the control of al-Bunyan al-Marsus (BM) forces aligned with the GNA.

Sources from the LNA allegedly told UAE based news outlet, Alittihad, that Qatar is transferring ISIS militants to Libya, after major losses in Iraq and Syria. In Misrata the crackdown on Islamist hardliners and suspected ISIS collaborators continues, last week 13 people were arrested connection with terrorism. On October 19, the LNA allegedly arrested a former ISIS member, Anis Bujeela al-Awami, who was hiding in Derna.

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.

An ISIS suicide bomb attack which targeted a Misratan court complex in the centre of the city on 4 October, killed four people and wounded several more after ISIS fighters opened fire on the complex and one attacked detonated a suicide belt. Local support of security forces in clamping down against militia members connected with terrorist organizations is rising. It is reported that an ISIS cell was arrested and its armory, including high power explosives, was found in the Ruwaisat area.

On 28 September, the Attorney General’s Office released the names and affiliations of several ISIS and Ansar al-Sharia connected individuals in Libya. They provided details and photographs of accused, organizational charts, links and routes of travel into Libya and said 800 arrest warrants had already been issued for nearly 200 terrorist attacks in Libya.

On 22 September, the US conducted an unmanned airstrike on an ISIS camp about 150 miles south-east of Sirte, reportedly killing 17 ISIS fighters and destroying 3 vehicles. ISIS’s Wilayat Barqa, published a long video last week praising the ISIS suicide car bomb attack in Nawfaliyah and the Fugha checkpoint massacres in August.  

The DMSC claims to have found the bodies of 5 foreigners abducted by ISIS in March 2015. DMSC forces found the deceased during a combing operation in June 2015 and identified them after scrutinizing equipment and laptops seized in Derna following the defeat of ISIS in the area earlier in the year.

On 10 September, the commander of the LNA’s Sirte Operation Room declared that the entire coastal strip from Sidra to about 50km east of Sirte. On 8 September, the LNA reportedly defused a bomb attached to the main gas pipeline south of Ajdabiya. BM forces are positioned at the 30km checkpoint east of Sirte, and it is reported that BM arrested two people in a raid last week, fueling tensions with the local population.

ISIS media claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack on a Libyan National Army (LNA) checkpoint at the entrance of al-Nawfaliya town, on 31 August. It was reported that ISIS units moved in to al-Teysseen, a town 90 kms east of Sirte, on 1 September. They allegedly held an Eid prayer in the local mosque and took positions in the town. The LNA air force launched a series of airstrikes targeting ISIS positions, from Ras Lanuf airstrip on 2 September.

On 23 August, Islamic State (ISIS) fighters attacked the Libyan National Army (LNA)-controlled al-Fugaha checkpoint in Jufra. Eleven victims were beheaded. On 27 August, Amaq released a new video showing two abductees and featuring several ISIS fighters guarding a checkpoint on a road near Jufra, south of Sirte.

Islamic State (ISIS) militants attacked the Libyan National Army (LNA)-controlled al-Fogha checkpoint near Jufra this morning, killing at least nine soldiers and two civilians. According to LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari, the eleven victims were beheaded and many others were left injured. The IS Amaq news agency released a statement this morning claiming the incident and […]

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.

Efforts to secure the Sabri and Souq al-Hout areas of Benghazi are not advancing as quickly as expected and more lives continue to be lost as a result of exploding ordnance.

Despite a lack of concrete evidence of connection between the mafia and extremist groups, rumors circulate about cooperation in the illicit economy via fuel and drug smuggling in the Sahara Desert. GNA- aligned al-Bunyan al-Marsus forces continue to conduct anti-ISIS reconnaissance missions in Abu Hadi area, south of Sirte.

On 29 July, the Sabratha municipal council, with the cooperation of local tribes, mobilized a new security force. Dubbed the ‘anti-Islamic State (ISIS) Operation Room’ the force is intended to police the areas around Sabratha and Mellitah. After raising the anti-ISIS alert level last week, BM forces reported that ISIS activity on the road between Sirte and Jufra continues.

Misratan-led Bunyan Marsus (BM) forces have raised the level of security readiness in anticipation of an impending Islamic State (ISIS) attack on Sirte from the south and the east. GNA spokesman Mohammed al-Ghosri denied rumours that BM requested military support from the LNA and posited that the LNA’s position in Jufra may actually facilitate the presence and movement of ISIS south of Sirte.

Battles continue in the final area (Khribish) in Sabri district of Benghazi, where a number of fighters and families are now still believed to be holding out, despite General Haftar’s announcement of official victory in Benghazi on 5 July. 10 LNA fighters were killed last week according to pro-LNA media.

Misratan al-Bunyan al-Marsus (BM) forces, who nominally support the Government of National Accord (GNA), announced last week that they had skirmished with three units affiliated with the Libyan National Army (LNA) in Qasr Abu Hadi, south of Sirte, while they were on an anti-ISIS reconnaissance mission in the area.

On 28 June, two ISIS captives being held in Misrata, one Libyan and the other Egyptian, were said to have escaped from the military intelligence agency. In Sabri, the LNA discovered the remains of an LNA officer killed by ISIS in an execution video.

Forces belonging to the GNA-aligned BM forces allegedly captured an ISIS fighter, during an operation to retrieve hijacked fuel trucks south of Sirte. Lone-wolf suicide attack at the LNA controlled Sidra gate checkpoint, kills the assailant and one other.

Last week in Sirte there was an assassination attempt against a Misratan BM fighter, alleged by the Salafist 604 brigade that helps secure the city.

The LNA-affiliated 116 brigade reportedly arrested a jihadist cell, including an ISIS member, in an anti-terrorism raid in Sebha. Three members of the al-Bunyan al-Marsus 166 brigade were killed in ambush south-west of Sirte, suspected to have been carried out by ISIS fighters.

On 5 June, the anti-crime unit of Misrata’s security forces released a recording that claims to show the ‘confessions’ of an ISIS fighter known as Aseeda. In the video, Aseeda describes ISIS and BRSC cooperation in Benghazi, including over a bank robbery.

On 24 May, local militias clashed with ISIS fighters near Bani Walid. Four ISIS fighters were killed. In Tripoli, RADA forces arrested the father and brother of Manchester suicide bomber Salman Abedi. They claim Abedi and his brother are members of ISIS.

The suicide bomber who detonated a suitcase bomb at a Manchester concert on 22 May has been identified as Salman Abeidi, a British-born Libyan. His parents were dissidents who fled to the UK during the Qadhafi period. Abeidi lived with his family in a quiet, middle-class neighborhood in Fallowfield in south Manchester. The family was […]

Footage found on the phone of a Palestinian man captured by the LNA, who was reportedly amongst BDB forces, depicts the Palestinian and his companions chanting an ISIS song as well as the execution of LNA soldiers.

On 14 May, three fuel trucks were seized by ISIS fighters on the road from Abu Grien to Jufra, south of Sirte. BM leaders also received threats from ISIS via social media accusing them of being “infidels assisting imperialists”.

On 7 May, ISIS claimed responsibility for an ambush of GNA-affiliated Misratan Third Force fighters 100km south-west of Sirte. In Benghazi, the LNA published the execution video of an Algerian ISIS fighter captured in Sabri.

The al-Lathama bridge into Sabri in Benghazi was destroyed last week, reportedly by jihadists to prevent the LNA from advancing westwards. In Sirte, residents are returning and some public services are resuming.

Head of US AFRICOM says US will maintain a force in Libya to work with the GNA if necessary against ISIS, estimates 100 – 200 ISIS fighters left in the country.

A video was widely shared on social media this week appearing to show the decomposing body of jihadist Jamal Makhzoum strapped to the front of a vehicle then being paraded around by LNA fighters.

On 13 March, the LNA launched a major offensive to take control of the 12 Flats area of Ganfuda in Benghazi, while the head of AFRICOM has warned that ISIS are regrouping in Libya.

A BDB commander said “our goal is to rescue Benghazi from Haftar and return displaced families to their homes”. The LNA siege against jihadist fighters from the BRSC, Ansar al-Sharia and Islamic State in the 12 Flats area of Ganfuda is ongoing

On 24 February, an LNA-aligned Salafi group called Tariq Ibn Ziyad Brigade released a video showing the execution of Mohamed Mustafa al-Mugharbi (aka Randa al-Abed), a high-profile fighter for ISIS in Benghazi.

Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the head of US Africa Command, said that the US obtained significant intelligence from the Islamic State (ISIS) camps, located 45km south of Sirte, which were hit by US airstrikes on 19 January.

A suspected ISIS arms cache containing unguided air-to-ground bombs and fuel was reportedly found by LNA units approximately 90km south of Nawfaliya, while there are reports ISIS cells are regrouping in the regions south-west of Misrata, near Bani Walid.

On 6 February, a video was published on Libyan social media showing the execution of an LNA fighter by an ISIS fighter in Benghazi. The video has sparked an angry reaction and is being seen as further proof of collaboration between ISIS and BRSC in Benghazi.

BM forces visited the site of US airstrikes against ISIS fighters last week and found bodies, underground stores and camouflaged hideouts. In Sirte, tribal elders accuse BM forces of looting and theft.

On 16 January, the GNA’s MoD spokesperson, announced that more than 2,500 bodies of ISIS fighters had been collected from Sirte.On 17 January, LNA forces in Nawfaliyah, a town west of Sirte, captured Emhemmed Emrajaa al-Hamali, a senior Libyan ISIS commander from Sirte. Al-Hamali was taken by the LNA to Grenada prison in Benghazi.

On 10 January, the BRSC said that the ISIS breakout from the Benghazi areas of Sabri and Ganfuda on 5 January caused ‘some’ disarray in their ranks, calling the ISIS withdrawal a ‘betrayal’. The BRSC and their supporters are facing a growing scandal over their exposed collaboration with ISIS.

There are reports of ISIS fighters sabotaging infrastructure in south-west Libya, including an attack on the Man Made River pipeline. An anti-ISIS tribal coalition has reportedly been formed to counter this threat. In Sirte, an ISIS suicide bomber attacked BM forces but no casualties were reported, while ISIS fighter says Tunisia journalists were executed in Derna.

There are reports of an ISIS presence in south-west Libya, with ISIS fighters reportedly use the desert roads to move between areas, raid supplies and establish checkpoints. In Sirte, a Salafist brigade has been tasked with securing the city.

ISIS fighters attacked the main control station of the Man Made River pipe system southern Libya, however the LNA says the fighters have been driven away and that they now have control of the station. In Khoms, the mayor says last month’s beheading was not carried out by ISIS.

The GNA officially declared the operation against ISIS in Sirte victorious although BM forces continue to sweep the city for mines, explosives and fighters, while US AFRICOM continues to provide support to monitor Sirte and the surrounding area.

BM forces continue to sweep Sirte for remaining ISIS fighters, mines and IEDs. Hundreds of bodies have been recovered, including many from who are believed to be ISIS fighters from Derna. A mayor for Sirte was elected however BM forces have rejected him as being pro-Haftar and have appointed their own military governor.

In Sirte, the BM forces finally declared victory against IS forces on 5 December, following heavy fighting and US airstrikes, and on 6 December they said they were securing the last few buildings in the area.

The beheading of a family in Khoms indicates ISIS fighters may have infiltrated the city, although the perpetrators of the attack are unknown. In Sirte, house-to-house fighting is taking place in the remaining few buildings where ISIS fighters are based, although BM forces continue to suffer losses.

BM forces are making slow but steady gains against ISIS in Sirte however they continue to suffer casualties and there are worrying signs that ISIS still has the capacity to resist and attack elsewhere, with ISIS posting pictures of checkpoints to the south of Sirte.

BM forces said last week that the area of Sirte controlled by ISIS fighters is now ‘less than the size of a football pitch’, while Trump’s anti-ISIS stance mean both pro-GNA and pro-Haftar forces are hopeful that they will receive support from the new US administration in their fights against ISIS and other jihadis.

BM forces stormed ISIS’s stronghold of al-Jiza al-Bahriya in Sirte last week, evacuating families used as human shields. BM forces are expected to declare victory against ISIS in Sirte soon.

In Sirte, the BM spokesperson also said BM forces are allowing any civilians still living in the densely populated al-Jiza al-Bahriya area to evacuate before they make their ‘final’ assault.

In Sirte, the Misratan-led Bunyan al-Marsus (BM) forces, who are aligned with the GNA, have continued their assault against the remaining ISIS fighters in the city, while in Benghazi ISIS fighters engaged the LNA in Gawarsha.

Battles continued last week between the Government of National Accord (GNA)-aligned, Misratan-led ‘Bunyan Marsus’ (BM) forces and Islamic State (ISIS) in Sirte. Despite repeated announcements of the city’s imminent liberation by BM forces, the end does not yet appear to be in sight.

ISIS forces are still entrenched within a roughly one square kilometre enclave in north-east Sirte and continue to inflict casualties on their Misratan opponents through their use of snipers and explosive devices. This week, the Misratan forces made further gains against the remaining ISIS fighters, with support from US air strikes.

After a lull in fighting last week, Bunyan al-Marsus forces launched a fresh offensive on ISIS-held areas of Sirte. They sustained heavy losses, while in an area of the city supposedly secured by BM forces, a Dutch journalist was killed by an ISIS sniper.

In Sirte, Misratan forces continue to battle ISIS fighters who remain barricaded in their stronghold in north-eastern Sirte. The Misratans suffered heavy losses last week after a renewed push to take the ISIS-held area, while ISIS fighters also launched a surprise attack against Sirte port.

In Sirte, Misratan-led forces have begun a final push to destroy remaining  pockets of ISIS in Sirte, while clashes have broken out between ISIS fighters and other militias to the south of Sirte, confirming that some ISIS members have managed to seep out of the city.

In Sirte, the Misratan-led Bunyan al-Marsus forces have continued to make gains against the remaining ISIS forces, which are now holed up in a very small section of the city. However, progress is slow because the Misratans continue to suffer losses from sniper fire and suicide attacks.

The Misratan-led Al-Bunyan Al-Marsus forces are now very close to completely defeating ISIS in Sirte. The ISIS HQ in Sirte has been taken and was visited last week by the PM Fayez Al Serraj and some members of the GNA Presidential Council.