On 12 December at 2:00 a.m., a checkpoint belonging to the Western Branch of the Counter Security Threats Agency at the hospital intersection in Sabratha was heavily fired upon by an armed group. The assailants were affiliated with Ahmed Omar al-Fitouri al-Dabbashi aka al-Amu, a notorious criminal and the commander of the 48th Battalion aka Martyr Anas al-Dabbashi Brigade. Six Agency members sustained serious injuries in the attack on the checkpoint. They were transferred to the hospital for treatment in the intensive care unit. Two were in critical condition.
Based on a warrant issued by the Office of the Attorney General, the Counter Security Threats Agency raided al-Amu’s militia hideout in Sabratha at dawn, resulting in the arrest of Saleh Omar al-Dabbashi and the death of al-Amu.
According to other sources, following the incident, the Counter Security Threats Agency raided the hideout of the attackers where it detected and arrested Saleh Omar al-Dabbashi, the brother of al‑Amu.
During the morning, there were several skirmishes between groups affiliated with the al-Dabbashi and the Counter Security Threats Agency. The fighting concentrated around Hospital Road and extended to al-Tanara on the coast, to Khorasan in western Sabratha, and to Palm Island and the al-Dabbashiya area southwest of the city.
Several camps and hide-outs of the Dabbashi militias were raided by the Counter Security Threats Agency and several rival groups. In the course of these skirmishes, a civilian was killed by mistake by the Counter Security Threats Agency in the vicinity of the hospital.
In a statement, the Counter Security Threats Agency affirmed that it will not tolerate anyone who threatens the security of the homeland or the safety of citizens. The agency emphasized that it would continue to carry out its duties with all force and determination, as authorized by law.
In the evening, Corporal Sanad Abduljalil Muhammed Bahroun, cousin of Muhammed Bahroun aka al-Far and a member of the Western Branch of the Counter Security Threats Agency, died of wounds in the hospital. Shortly thereafter, a second member of the Agency succumbed to his wounds.