On 23 October late in the evening, heavy fighting started between the Misrata Joint Operations Force and the 24th Infantry Battalion in the al-Sikkirat area, about 5 km west of Misrata airport.
The fighting started near a checkpoint at al-Sikkirat traffic island next to a shopping centre. Purportedly, the Joint Operations Force carried out a raid in the al-Sikkirat area targeting suspicious hideouts and arrested a group that was later found to belong to the 24th Infantry Battalion. In response, the 24th Infantry Battalion established a ‘security zone’ in this area, stopping vehicles belonging to the Joint Operations Force that wanted to return to Misrata with the arrested individuals.
On 24 October after midnight, fighting intensified when both sides mobilized and deployed reinforcements with heavy infantry weapons and some armoured vehicles. Fighting spread along the Airport Road to Duran Al-Zabati Island in the al-Ghiran area, just one km from the airport. The Misrata Oncology Hospital (about 2.5 km west of the airport) was hit by some projectiles.
Several casualties were taken to the emergency rooms of hospitals in Misrata. Several civilians, including children, were wounded during the hours-long fighting. Allegedly at least eleven people, including one child and four Black African workers, were wounded. There is no reliable information about casualties among the militias. Local authorities imposed a nighttime curfew.
Fighting stopped in the early morning, when several other militias, including the 111th Brigade, the Special Operations Command, the Counterterrorism Force, and the 63rd Infantry Brigade, intervened to contain the situation and to separate the belligerent parties. Those arrested by the Joint Operations Force were released after signing a pledge not to obstruct security patrols in the future. The Joint Operations Force re-established control over the contested area by dawn.
Extensive damage to public and private property was documented following the armed clashes. Shops and public facilities were severely affected, and the situation triggered widespread panic among residents, with some forced to evacuate their homes and nearby areas. As a consequence of the fighting, Misrata International Airport was temporarily closed.
The 24th Infantry Battalion released a statement asserting that the events were an act of self-defense, emphasizing that it had no choice but to respond. The battalion also extended heartfelt apologies to the residents of the city, particularly those in al-Ghiran and near the Airport Road, for the harm and disruption caused by the clashes.
There have been condemnations and calls for investigations into both parties in the aftermath of the fighting, with some blaming the 24th Battalion and others the Misrata Joint Force.
On 24 October, PM Abdul Hameed Dabaiba instructed the military prosecutor to open an urgent investigation into the clashes. The Government of National Unity’s (GNU) Ministry of Defence – led by PM and MoD Dabaiba – ordered the Central Military District to prevent all officers from the 24th Infantry Battalion from leaving the Battalion’s HQ until the completion of the ongoing investigations by the Military Prosecutor’s Office into the incident.
On 25 October, residents of al-Ghiran called on the Attorney General to open an urgent investigation into the recent clashes.
The Misrata Movement Against Injustice issued a statement condemning the violent incident on 23 October in the al-Ghiran area, where, according to the Movement, members of the Joint Operations Force attacked a military position of the 24th Infantry Battalion. The assault, described as unjustified and excessive, was characterized as a direct assault on national institutions and public safety. The statement called for an immediate and thorough investigation by the Attorney General to identify and prosecute those responsible. It also demanded the reopening of past files related to the Joint Operations Force, including alleged crimes, abuses, and corruption, particularly accusations of currency and gold smuggling through Misrata Airport.
In the afternoon, several hundred demonstrators gathered to protest against the Joint Operations Force, calling on the Attorney General to dismantle the unit and prosecute its members for alleged crimes.
The Misrata Revolutionary Leaders Group issued a sharply worded statement accusing the 24th Battalion of committing serious offenses including kidnapping, extortion, and sowing chaos in the city. They condemned the use of armed force to assert control, warning that such actions threaten Misrata’s security and stability.
On 27 October in the afternoon, the Hittin Battalion deployed troops, about 30 pick-ups with heavy weapons, including some artillery, to the main camp of the 24th Infantry Battalion in order to support them in the case of an attack by the Joint Operations Force.