Libyan actors
Tracking developments of Libyan Actors in Libya’s security space including armed group activity, state security operations and political activities pertaining to Libya’s security.
GNU Chief of Staff visits Turkish frigate
On 24 August, the Government of National Unity (GNU) Chief of Staff Mohammed al-Haddad and an accompanying delegation reportedly visited the Turkish frigate TCG Gediz located off the coast of Tripoli.
LNA’s 128 Brigade seizes weapons to be smuggled to Mali and Niger
On 23 August, the Libyan National Army (LNA) 128 Brigade reported that it had seized weapons that were being smuggled to ‘armed groups and terrorists’ in Mali and Niger, 100km from Awbari.
17 prisoners released by LNA west of Sirte, following mediation from 5+5 JMC
On 23 August, the Libyan National Army (LNA) announced that it had released 17 detainees from western armed groups, having captured them during the 2019-2020 Tripoli offensive. The exchange was supervised by the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) and took place at...
Suspected ISIS attack on LNA forces in Zillah
On 22 August, the Libyan National Army (LNA) aligned 128 Brigade was attacked by a suicide bomber identified as a Sudanese national at the Zillah gate/Zillah-Waddan road checkpoint near Jufra, 470 km south west of Tripoli. According to sources, the man drove the car...
MoI leak claims terrorists stationed at Watiya airbase plan attack in Tunisia
On 21 August, a document dated 19 August belonging to the Government of National Unity (GNU) Ministry of Interior (MoI) was leaked detailing correspondence between the Tunisian Interpol and the head of the Arab International Criminal Police that was in turn...
Mobilisation of LNA and western region forces to al-Shuwayrif
This week, there have been a series of mobilisations in and around the strategic town of al-Shuwayrif in south-western Libya by Libyan National Army (LNA) forces and Tripoli's 444 Brigade. On 17 August, the 444 Brigade carried out a security operation in al-Shuwayrif...
Lavrov meets with Mangoush in Moscow for talks on bilateral cooperation
On 19 August, Government of National Unity Minister of Foreign Affairs, Najla Mangoush, met with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow. In a press conference, Lavrov appealed to the ‘friendship and cooperation’ between the two countries and spoke of...
UNSMIL calls for calm as security actors mobilise
On 18 August, following military activity in Al-Shwayrif, the UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL), called on Libyan parties ‘to refrain from any mobilization or deployment of security elements and troops that may be perceived as an escalation and may undermine the...
UN Office of Counter-Terrorism: ISIS situation in the Sahel ‘could be aggravated by Libya’
On 19 August, Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, issued a report on the threat posed by ISIS, stating that ISIS’ West Africa affiliate (Islamic State's West Africa Province) could receive foreign fighters...