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.
2 January – 8 January: Attorney General issues arrest warrants for members of opposition groups
On 3 January, the Attorney General issued warrants for 31 members of Chadian and Sudanese opposition groups and 6 Libyan nationals.
26 December – 1 January: ISIS claim responsibility for the attack on Libya’s Foreign Ministry
On 27 December, ISIS’s al-Naba newsletter no. 162 outlined details of the group’s attack on the Libya’s Foreign Ministry in Tripoli on 25 December. On 23 December, thirty-four bodies of Ethiopian Christian nations killed by ISIS in 2016 were discovered in Sirte.
26 December – 1 January: LNA clash with Benghazi Defence Brigades near Bani Walid
On 24 December, the Libyan National Army’s 73 Brigade clashed with Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) forces in Wadi Dinar, southeast of Bani Walid.
26 December – 1 January: Russian Envoy says Said al-Islam Qaddafi has right to run for president
On 27 December, Russian Envoy Mikhail Bogdanov said Saif al-Islam Qaddafi has the right to run for president in the elections next year.
26 December – 1 January: Directors of security in Tripoli and Benghazi meet to discuss unification
On 29 December, the Directors of security in Tripoli and Benghazi met in Benghazi to discuss unification. On 27 December, a Chadian rebel militia attacked the LNA’s 10th Brigade leaving one dead and 12 more wounded at Taraghin.
19 December – 25 December: ISIS attack foreign ministry in Tripoli
On 25 December, four ISIS fighters undertook a suicide attack on Libya’s foreign ministry in Tripoli, killing three people and wounding at least 21 more.
19 December – 25 December: “Extremists” attack Port of Benghazi
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.
19 December – 25 December: Italian PM meetings Libyan leaders
On 23 December, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte visited the head of the LNA, Khalifa Haftar, in al-Rajma and the head of the GNA, Fayez al-Serraj, in Tripoli.
19 December – 25 December: The LNA undertake a pre-emptive attack on Ibrahim Jadhran
On 19 December, the LNA undertook a pre-emptive attack on Ibrahim Jadhran. On 22 December, the east-based Interim Government declared a state of high alert in Benghazi. On 18 December, four Tripoli militias announced their merger.