Libyan actors

Operation Dignity forces appear to have consolidated their control over the strategic maritime port area in central Benghazi. The Egyptian air force repeatedly targeted Derna in retaliation for the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians at the hands of radical Jihadists in Sirte affiliated with the Islamic State. The 166th Battalion of the Libyan National Army is reportedly gathering at the entrance of the city of Sirte.

On 16 February Cairo launched bombing raids against the town of Derna in retaliation for the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by ISIS militants. The Misratan local council condemned the take over of government buildings in Sirte and called on security forces to do something to halt ISIS’s advance.

Operation Dignity launched in the early hours of Thursday 5 February a new initiative inside Benghazi, labeling it as “the final push” to achieve full control of the city.

On Friday 16 January Libya Dawn and Operation Dignity jointly declared a unilateral general ceasefire with immediate effect. As a result the security threat decreased for all of Libya’s ports, except Benghazi and Derna due to Operation Dignity announcement that it will continue to ‘fight extremists’.

The air force affiliated with Operation Dignity made an unconfirmed claim of having received 4 new Sukhoi Su-27 (Flanker) fighter jets that could significantly boost its operational capabilities.

Haftar claims that the final phase of the battle for the liberation of Benghazi started and that his troops are now dealing mostly with snipers entrenched in densely populated areas.

Operation Shuruq (Sunrise) forces carried out a surprise attack on Sidra’s oil terminal employing speedboats and rockets. Although Operation Dignity forces repelled the attack, one of Operation Shuruq’s rockets fell on an oil storage tank, starting a fire that spread to five tanks.

The battle to control Libya’s energy sector is ongoing and shows little sign of letting up. Although the Misratan led alliance forces that go by the name Libya Sunrise (Shuruq Libiyya) is still on the back foot, it has not given up the fight.

The attack by Misratan forces called operation Shuruq is already being perceived by some as an assault by the west against the east. Indeed, the move is provoking uproar in eastern towns such as Ajdabiyya. Haftar is preparing to take the battle to Derna and is readying himself for a major assault against the town.

News emerged this week that the HoR is set to formalise Haftar’s role even further by appointing him as Commander in Chief of the Libyan Armed Forces.

Although Hafter has the Zintani brigades on board, who like him are now considered to be part of the Libyan national army, this is clearly not sufficient to enable him to secure a win in Tripoli.

Over the past week, the Libyan national army bombed a number of targets west of the capital and announced the closure of ports and airports. Dignity struggled in Benghazi and security in Sirte deteriorated.

Hafter is still struggling to fully defeat the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council that continues to put up a fierce resistance in its traditional strongholds.

General Khalifa Hafter has continued to make progress in Benghazi, consolidating control of more areas of the city and flushing out militants.

General Khalifa Haftar has made further progress in his efforts to ‘liberate’ Benghazi from the grip of Islamist militants.

General Hafter launched a major offensive against his opponents in Benghazi this week. Fierce fighting has continued in the Jebel Nafusa as the Zintani brigades continue their assault against Operation Libya Dawn controlled towns in the area.

The army’s referring to the Zintani brigades as part of its own forces is a new and notable development. Zintani brigades made another attempt to fight back against Operation Libya Dawn this week when they launched an offensive against the town of Kikla in the western mountains.

The Zintani militias are apparently preparing for war against Dawn who just evicted them from the Airport; the head of the Qaqaa Brigade, Othman Mlegta, has gone to Tobruk recently to coordinate the delivery of equipment and define a strategy for a counteroffensive.

World media reported that Hafter made good on his threat to bomb the Benghazi port on Wednesday the 24th.

Al-Thinni’s failure to form a government has revealed the depth of division that exists inside the HoR, particularly between the federalists and the National Forces Alliance (which is itself divided).

Both the HoR and the GNC have continued in their efforts to acquire international support and recognition. Khalifa Haftar announced a major offensive that did not materialize.

Violence has continued in Benghazi where General Khalifa Haftar and those Islamist forces fighting under the umbrella of the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council are locked into a seemingly intractable battle to control Benina Airport. However, the Islamists still very much have the upper hand.

Among the Zintanis’ allies only the Warshefana are currently engaged in hostilities against the Misratan and Islamist bloc.

The HoR responded to the triumph of Operation Libya Dawn by branding its forces as well as those of Ansar Al-Sharia as terrorists. It promoted polarisation mirroring the moves of Operation Dawn. It also created a climate in which ‘moderate’ Islamists like the MB and Misratans were keen to work with the emerging ISIS groups.

Benghazi has been the scene of further violence as General Khalifa Haftar renewed his attacks against Islamist targets in key neighbourhoods of the city. Libyan Air Force (LAF) commander Saccar Jurushi confirmed this week that LAF jets had carried out a number of airstrikes in Derna. Reports emerged on 18 August that several camps belonging to Libya Dawn in Tripoli were the targets of airstrikes. As of yet it is not clear who was responsible for the attack.

Following the series of victories by Islamist militants, fighting under the banner of the Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council (BRSC), against Libyan National Army Special Forces targets last week, Genral Khalifa Haftar is trying hard to prove that he is not a spent force. Special Forces fighting with Operation Dignity attacked a number of militant bases in the Benghazi neighbourhood of Sidi Faraj this week, clashing with members of Ansar Al-Sharia.

Islamist militants, who are part of the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC), staged a major attack on the main Libyan Special Forces (Saiqa) base in Benghazi, overrunning the camp and forcing Saiqa troops to evacuate. The head of the politburo of the Cyrenaican Transitional Council (CTC), Ibrahim Jadhran, who led the protests at the eastern ports, announced his intention this week to set up a military council in Cyrenaica to support Operation Dignity.

Members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard joined Special Forces in Benghazi marking their first foray into direct combat as Islamist forces launched a counterattack against Dignity forces in the city.

This week saw an attack against an Egyptian military post near the border with Libya and Sudan. The attack killed 21 Egyptian border guards and destroyed a weapons storage facility.

General Khalifa Haftar continues to fight militant groups in the East, and thus far shows no sign of making substantive progress.

Clashes erupted in Tripoli’s western suburb of Janzour between members of the Special Operations Force, which belongs to the Interior Ministry, and a revolutionary brigade with Islamist leanings called the Knights of Janzour, which is now part of the Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (LROR). General Khalifa Haftar continued his assault on Benghazi.

A stalemate emerged between Operation Dignity and Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi amid heavy fighting. Hundreds of Turkish workers left Libya under threat from Operation Dignity.

The rhetoric on both sides of Operation Dignity intensified on 15 June, when Haftar said that all “terrorists” coming to Libya should leave now or “die here.” In turn, the Grand Mufti called for “revolutionaries” to wage jihad against Haftar and his followers. Heavy fighting in Benghazi and Dignity attacks on boats in the ports of Benghazi and Derna ensued.

Haftar’s forces claimed to have seized half of their targets. Tension over Haftar rose in Tripoli and a Tebu Brigade near Kufra joined Haftar.

Libyan Air Force jets and helicopters struck Islamist positions in Benghazi.

Haftar’s offensive in Benghazi targets Islamists militias such as Feb17 brigade, Rafallah al-Sahati brigade, and Ansar al-Sharia militias. These militias are mainly based on the western side of Benghazi near the main building of Benghazi University in the Gar Younis  and al-Laithi areas. Haftar used ground forces to take on these militias, and it was […]