Our archive of political and security incidents relating to Jihadi actors in Libya such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
On 13 May, the HoR voted to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group. The HoR believes the Muslim Brotherhood is assisting armed groups and terrorist in Tripoli.
On 7 May, four gunmen with alleged terrorist connections attacked the Sebha Medical Centre in the earlier hours of the morning. Local security forces killed two of the assailants.
On 26 April, Government of National Accord (GNA) Minister of Interior, Fathi Bashaagha, in an interview with the BBC, said that plans to extradite British national Hashem Abedi to the UK had been delayed due to the fighting in Tripoli. Hashem is the brother of Salman Abedi, who blew himself up at a concert in Manchester in May 2017, killing 22 people. The UK wants to extradite its citizen on charges of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to cause an explosion.
On 21 April, unconfirmed reports suggested some Misratan forces had withdrawn their troops from Tripoli following a breakdown in relations with Tajoura’s 33 Infantry Brigade. The point of contention was the alleged presence of Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council members within their forces.
On 11 April, senior leader of the Benghazi Defense Brigade Ziyad Belam was seen participating clashes in Tripoli.
On 9 April, unconfirmed reports suggest Abrek Maazak is participating in the clashes in Tripoli. Maazak is a founding member of Ajdabiya Revolutionaries Shura Council, an Islamist brigade formerly linked with Ansar Al-Sharia and the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council.
On 29 March, two al-Qaeda members from Derna were reported to have been arrested in Misrata. The individuals are said to have participated in fighting in Syria with the Battar Battalion.
On 20 March, Libyan National Army (LNA) forces killed a suspected terrorist from Sirte in Qatrun. The individual’s affiliation has been released.
On 18 March, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Tripoli and praised the “significant progress” made by Haftar in southern Libya “in the face of terrorist groups, organised criminals and armed foreign groups.”
On 6 March, Bosnian security services stated Nusret Imamovic, one of the country’s most wanted terrorists, had arrived in Libya sometime in February.
On 26 February, Al-Qaeda affiliated armed groups mobilized 130km east of Misrata according to Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesperson, Ahmed al-Mesmari.
On 25 February, Misratan security forces arrested suspected al-Qaeda member, Ayman Abu Amoud, who is thought to have been involved in the kidnapping of the Jordanian ambassador to Libya, Fawaz al-Itan, in 2014.
On 13 February, the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) spokesperson Ahmed al-Mismari stated that military operations in Derna had concluded. On 13 February, LNA operations to clear Derna’s old city uncovered the bodies of DPF members. On 14 February, the Derna Intelligence Service announced that it had arrested suspected terrorist Muatasim Ahmed Bouktaouh.
On 9 February, the eastern-based interim government aligned with Khalifa Haftar’s LNA announced the conclusion of military operations in Derna. On 12 February, the 46 remaining fighters belonging to the Derna Protection Force surrendered to the LNA. On 8 February, security forces in Misrata arrested two suspected al-Qaeda members.
On 29 January, the LNA arrested al-Qaeda member Alamin Ali Kalfa near Sebha. On 2 February, LNA forces and the Derna Protection Force clashed in the old city area of Derna.
On 27 January, the LNA claim to have killed AQIM field commander Adel Ahmad al-Abdali during a raid in the Hijarah area of Sebha. On 24 January, Anti-Terror Forces in Misrata arrested a terror suspect, Ali Amin. On 27 January, the Criminal Investigation Agency of Misrata arrested terror suspect, Zakaria Saleh al-Sheikh, in Misrata.
On 17 January, the LNA claimed to have killed senior Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) member Abdelmonem Al-Hasnawi (aka Abu Tallha al-Libi).
On 11 January, the General Security Directorate defused an IED in a deserted farm in western Tripoli. On 10 January, Tripoli’s Criminal Investigation Department evacuated the Dhat al-Imad office complex following reports of a bomb threat.
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.
On 24 December, the Libyan National Army’s 73 Brigade clashed with Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) forces in Wadi Dinar, southeast of Bani Walid.
On 19 December, unconfirmed reports suggest “extremists” undertook a suicide bombing on the Port of Benghazi. On 16 December, Libyan National Army (LNA) and Derna Protection Forces (DPF) clashed in the old city of Derna.
On 17 December, heavy clashes occurred between LNA forces and Derna Protection Force (DPF) remnants in Derna. On 11 December, the BDB took control of a checkpoint in Abu Grein.
On 6 December, AQIM released a statement denying any links to those killed in the AFRICOM air strikes on 29 November near al-Uwaynat.
On 1 December, a Benghazi Defense Brigade convoy of 40 vehicles was observed driving along the coastal road from Tawergha to Misrata.
On 17 November, the LNA undertook three airstrikes targeting an “al-Qaeda linked group” near Sadada, 76km east of Misrata.
On 13 November, the Egyptian Dar Al-Ifta’a fatwa and takfiri monitoring group reported that between 3 November and 9 November “local terrorist organizations” in Libya undertook two attacks.
On 10 November, Misrata local security forces arrested two individuals connected to the Ajdabiya Revolutionaries Shura Council. On 4 November, the Anti-ISIS Operations Room claimed to have arrested a member of the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council.
On 4 November, the LNA spokesperson stated that investigations into al-Qaeda affiliated Egyptian terrorist Hisham Ashmawi were on going.
On 22 October, the Libyan National Army (LNA) killed al-Qaeda leader, Abd Al-Ghaffar Mansour Al-Tashani, during a sniper operation in the al-Maghar district of Derna.
On 21 October, the Commander of the Training Wing of the Derna Police Institute survived an assassination attempt by Derna Protection Force remnants in eastern Derna.
On October 10, the Libyan National Army captured al-Qaeda affiliated Egyptian terrorist Safwat Zeiden who is believed to be the bodyguard of Hisham Ashmawi.
On 8 October, the LNA captured former Egyptian Special Forces officer turned jihadist, Hisham al-Ashmawy, in the al-Maghar neighborhood of Derma. Al-Ashmawy was captured with a suicide vest on, which he had failed to detonate.
On 25 September, an attempt to assassinate the Dean of the Derna Municipality, Abdel-Moneim al-Ghaithi, was thwarted following the identification and dismantling of an Improvised Explosive Devise close to his room in the Pearl Hotel. Derna Protection Force (DPF) remnants are suspected of being responsible for the attack.
On 21 September, suspected Al-Qaeda members launched an attack using an RPG on a senior security official in Sebha.
Libyan National Army’s RADA Central Deterrent Forces arrested two suspected terrorists in Ajdabiya. On 14 September, a terrorist attack was reported to have occurred targeting the Zliten Security Directorate.
On 7 September, AQIM-linked media accounts published a eulogy for the Libyan AQIM commander Miloud Sadaga. Sadaga. Originally from Derna, Sadaga fought against the LNA, where he died, under the ‘banner of Ansar al-Shaira’.
On 1 September, fighting between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the remnants of the Derna Protection Force (DPF) renewed in Derna, reportedly left 11 LNA fighters dead and 19 injured.
The local security directorate in Jalu region announced last week that it had arrested a foreign fighter cell, reportedly preparing for operations against the Libyan National Army (LNA).
On 18 August, Abdulkader Jumaa Abdul-Hadi Afnish Al-Zwai, a senior leader and founding member of the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) and the AROR, died following a raid on his home in Misrata.
On 13 August, the Libyan National Army’s 101 Infantry Brigade clashed with Derna Protection Forces remnants near Gate 200 on the Tubruk-Ajdabiya highway. On 11 August, the Libyan National Army conducted airstrikes from its al-Jufra airbase targeting Benghazi Defence Brigade (BDB) forces located near al-Saddadah.
Ahmed Abdul Karim Hamza, an official with Libya’s National Human Rights Committee, has stated that several mosques through Libya have being used by ISIS and al-Qaeda to radicalize and recruit youths.
On 25 July, airstrikes are reported to have occurred targeting a house in the Sharib area near Ubari in Southern Libya, containing individuals thought to be affiliated with al-Qaeda.
On 21 July, reports began emerging suggesting that prominent al-Qaeda linked figures Mahfouz Ould al-Walid (Abu Hafs al-Mauritani) and Hisham Ashmawi (Abu Omar al-Muhajir al-Masri) are amongst the Derna Protection Force (DFP) remnants isolated to small pockets of old town Derna by the LNA.
On 11 July, Libyan National Army (LNA) 106th Battalion, led by Khalifa Haftar’s son Khalid, issued an arrest warrant for al-Saiqa Commander Mahmoud al-Werfalli, a notable figure among ‘Madkhali’ Salafists in the LNA. Al-Werfalli reportedly threatened al-Madani al-Fakhiri, who currently heads the Military Investment Agency.
Last week, the Libyan National Army’s 101 Brigade published photos that circulated on social media of senior al-Qaeda leader Sufiyan Bin Qammu amongst other al-Qaeda militants in Derna. Qammu is thought to be a prominent al-Qaeda theoretician in Libya and is known within the group as “The Libyan Knight.”
On 28 June, commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar announced the ‘liberation’ of the city of Derna. Earlier that day the LNA had stated that they had complete control of the city and that Brigadier General Salem al-Rifadi was appointed the head of the Joint Security Operations Room for the city.
On 25 June, the leader of the Derna Protection Forces (formerly known as the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council), Atiyah al-Shaari, was reportedly killed in a Libyan National Army (LNA) airstrike in downtown Derna.
On 16 June, the Libyan National Army (LNA) claimed to have captured al-Qaeda linked Ansar al-Sharia commander Safian bin Kamou during a raid in northern Derna. On 14 June, two senior leaders of the Benghazi Defence Brigade (BDB), Ahmad al-Tajouri and Faraj Shaku, were allegedly killed by airstrikes as they moved from Bani Walid to the Oil Crescent.
On 9 May, one of the Derna Mujahadeen Shura Council’s key religious ideologues with alleged connections to al-Qaeda, Omar Refaair Sorour, was killed during a Libyan National Army (LNA) air strike on a residential area in downtown Derna.
On 5 June, the Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesperson Ahmed al-Mismari announced that LNA forces had taken control of 75 percent of Derna from the DPF. The day before In a video announcement to the LNA and civilians in Derna, Haftar highlighted to his troops the importance of protecting prisoners of war and warned of the dangers to civilians of Derna in aiding and abetting ‘terrorists”.
The Libyan National Army (LNA) campaign against the Derna Mujahadeen Shura Council (DMSC) – which has now renamed itself the Derna Protection Force (DPF)– continues in Derna. On 28 May, the LNA announced that it had taken control of the western entrance of Derna, the industrial area of al-Fatayah, and the areas in and around the al-Katib factory.
On 12 May, the DMSC announced it was dissolving itself and changing its name to ‘the Derna Protection Force’. On 15 May, the LNA’s Omar Mukhtar Operations Room claimed to have completely captured al-Hila, south of Derna, as a part of on going operations to take the city from the DMSC.
On 1 May, factions in Misrata eulogised the former leader of the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC), Wissam Bin Hamid, after news of his death was officially announced by his family. He was reportedly killed on 10 December 10, 2016.
On 23 April, reports suggest the al-Qaeda affiliated jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia (AS) were involved in clashes between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) west of Derna. On 25 April, an alleged ‘extremist cell’ was apprehended in al-Jufrah by LNA-affiliated forces.
On 18 April, a motorcade with Libyan National Army (LNA) Military Governor and LNA chief of Staff Abdulrazzaq al-Nadhouri was attacked by alleged “terrorist sleeper cells” using a VBIED as it moved through Sidi Khalifa, north of Benghazi. On 22 April, the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC), which is currently in the control of the city of Derna, released a conciliatory statement calling for an end to the conflict between itself and the LNA.
On 12 April, Libyan National Army (LNA) forces arrested an Ansar al-Sharia (AS) figure from Sirte named Salem Abdul Qaway al-Gaddafi while hiding in the Jufra area. On 14 April, the LNA Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Abdurrazaq al-Nadhouri, issued “final readiness” orders to LNA troops station near Derna heralding an impending assault on the city controlled by the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council.
On 3 April, the UK government stated that it was “likely” that it had been in communication with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) and the 17 February Martys Brigade during the war in Libya in 2011. On 5 April, the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) claimed to have undertaken a surprise attack on Libyan National Army (LNA) forces in southern Derna, allegedly killing two LNA fighters.
On 1 April, in a media statement, Libyan National Army (LNA) leader Khalifa Haftar warned that the time given to the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) – who occupies and controls the city of Derna – to disarm and lay down their weapons has expired and suggests that major clashes in Derna could start at any time.
On 24 March, the LNA aligned Salafist ‘Arrest and Investigation Units’ of Benghazi and Ajdabiya were disbanded with their respective members re-integrated into the Internal Security Organisations in their respective cities. On 23 March, the Tarik Ben Zeyad brigade, who are one of the two most powerful Salafist brigades aligned to the LNA, deployed to southern Libya.
On 18 March, the Libyan National Army (LNA) released details of the arrest of 16 alleged “terrorists” in the Kufra region of southern Libya carrying Syrian and Sudanese passports.
On 11 March, it was reported that Saudi Arabia had extradited to the LNA two alleged al-Qaeda members accused of abducting five Egyptian diplomats in Tripoli in 2014. The two suspects were arrested in June 2017 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and are said to be members of the al-Qaeda aligned Libyan militant groups.
On 4 March, four people were allegedly injured by artillery shelling from the LNA 321 artillery battalion on al-Zintan neighbourhood near the western entrance of Derna. The following day the UN Secretary-General envoy, Ghassan Salame held a meeting in Tripoli with a delegation from Derna to discuss the evolving humanitarian situation in the city.
On 25 February, Interpol issued a Red Notice for Mahmoud al-Werfalli, the field commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Special Forces Saiqa division, for war crimes relating to summary executions of LNA prisoners accused of being jihadists.
An LNA offensive against the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC), which controls Derna, appears imminent. The LNA continues to deploy large ground forces to Derna from Benghazi, Ajdabiya and other areas to prepare for the assault. Haftar dismissed Wanis Bukhamada as head of the Benghazi JSFOR, replacing him with Abdurrazaq al-Nadhouri.
On 9 February, a double bombing occurred at Saad Ibn Ibada mosque in the Majouri district of Benghazi during Friday prayers. The attack killed 2 people and wounded at least 75 people.
Last week, the LNA deployed forces from Benghazi and nearby towns to take up positions around Derna and prepare an offensive against the Derna Mujahadeen Shura Council, which controls the city. The LNA’s Omar al-Mukhtar Operation Room Commander asked all citizens to move away from possible targets, indicating that shelling and/or airstrikes may be used.
On 23 January, a dual bombing in Benghazi led to at least 40 deaths, with many of those critically injured in the initial attack subsequently dying from their wounds. While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, LNA- affiliated groups have blamed jihadists. On 29 January, the DMSC executed 3 people who they accused of being LNA loyalists.
On January 20 and 21, the Libyan National Army (LNA) 321 Battalion and Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) were reportedly shelling each other in the southern districts of Derna.
On 8 January, the ship Andromeda – reportedly on its way from Turkey to Misrata – was found to contain 29 containers of explosives and 11 empty Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanks, which the Libyan National Army described as being intended for “building bombs used for terrorist acts.”
While there has been a significant amount of armed group activity in Libya this week, there have been no notable incidences connected to Jihadi actors outside of ISIS. For ISIS activity, see the ISIS in Action section.
On 28 December, the Libyan National Army announced the full purge of jihadist forces from Benghazi – six months after the LNA initially declared the city liberated. The following day, Derna reportedly received some of the fleeing BRSC-linked fighters.
On 26 December, unknown attackers caused an explosion on the Zagout-Sidra oil pipeline. The explosion occurred on the pipeline 256km south east of Sidra and 25km north of Marada. The attackers are reported to have arrived at the site in two cars and planted explosives on the pipeline. Muftah Magariaf, the head of the Libyan […]
The Derna Mujahadeen Shura Council (DMSC), the jihadi organization that controls the besieged city of Derna, stepped up its anti-ISIS operations throughout last week, arresting former ISIS members who had previously been detained or absorbed by the DMSC, and clashing with others. On 17 December, fighting between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and DMSC fighters east of Derna is reported to have left one LNA fighter dead and another wounded in the Kassarat area.
Ismail Kamoka and four other Libyans have successfully won a legal case to sue the UK’s M15 and M16 for unlawful detention and the unlawful use of counter-terrorism control orders. On 7 December, Human Rights Watch released a statement detailing the destruction of two historic Sufi mosques this year in Tripoli.
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 […]
On 27 November, the LNA conducted an airstrike on DMSC targets in al-Dahra al-Hamar area, south of Derna. On 23 November, a mutiny inside a Misratan prison among Islamist hardliners led to four prisoners fleeing, with two later killed in a faceoff with prison guards.