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.
25 July – 31 July: LNA and SPF conduct unofficial joint patrols
On 26 July, the first unofficial joint patrol between the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) 128 brigade and the Sirte Protection Force (SPF) was conducted along the Sirte-Jufra road. This region has seen multiple reports of recent of ISIS activity.
18 July – 24 July: ISIS undertakes raid of police station in al-Uqaylah
On 24 July, ISIS fighters raided a police station in al-Uqaylah, west of Brega, destroying at least two vehicles with unconfirmed reports suggesting that multiple officers were killed and at least one was beheaded.
18 July – 24 July: Prominent al-Qaeda linked figures thought amongst DFP remnants in Derna
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.
18 July – 24 July: Libyan-Italian maritime operations centre in Tripoli port proposed
On 18 July, Italian embassy and security officials accompanied the head of the maritime sector branch within the Government of National Accord’s Ministry of Interior for an official visit to Tripoli port and discussed plans to establish a joint Libyan-Italian maritime operations centre in Tripoli port.
18 July – 24 July: Fathi al-Majbary announced resignation from Presidential Council
On 18 July, Fathi al-Majbary announced from Benghazi that he would no longer be a member of the Government of National Accord’s (GNA) Presidential Council (PC), calling the GNA a ‘farce’ and arguing that no central government could be run from Tripoli due to the influence the militias there.
11 July – 17 July: ISIS suspect arrested in Brega
On 10 July, the LNA Criminal Investigations Department in Brega arrested an individual suspected of being an ISIS fighter. On 10 July, the Special Deterrence Forces (Rada) fighters raided the house of a suspected ISIS member in Tripoli. However, on 11 July Rada said that the assailant was not linked with ISIS.
11 July – 17 July: LNA issue arrest warrant for Mahmoud al-Werfalli
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.
11 July – 17 July: EU’s foreign policy head visits Tripoli
On 14 July, Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy head, visited Tripoli to reestablish the EU’s diplomatic presence in Libya. In a statement, Mogherini restated the EU’s support for the UN initiative for elections and discussed ways to secure Libya’s land borders and train its coast guard.
11 July – 17 July: Haftar hands oil ports back to Tripoli NOC
On 10 July, Khalifa Haftar ordered all LNA-affiliated Petroleum Facilities Guards to allow oil ports under their control to resume exports under the authority of the Tripoli-based NOC and its subsidiaries. On 11 July, the NOC lifted force majeure on all of the Oil Crescent ports and Tobruq’s Hariga port.