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.
13-19 September: Several Killed in Clashes between Dabbashi and 48 Brigade in Sabratha
On 16 September, clashes broke out in Sabratha among units affiliated with the Anas Dabbashi Brigade and the 48 Brigade, leaving at least five dead and 18 injured. LNA air force jets flew over the city on 18 September, triggering local fears that the LNA might intervene if the clashes escalate further. A brief ceasefire was announced on 18 September for an ICRC led evacuation though it is reported that the gun fighting continued.
5-12 September: LNA and BM reinforce Oil Crescent region against ISIS resurgence
On 10 September, the commander of the LNA’s Sirte Operation Room declared that the entire coastal strip from Sidra to about 50km east of Sirte. On 8 September, the LNA reportedly defused a bomb attached to the main gas pipeline south of Ajdabiya. BM forces are positioned at the 30km checkpoint east of Sirte, and it is reported that BM arrested two people in a raid last week, fueling tensions with the local population.
5-12 September: Italian Interior Minister is latest Western politician to visit Libya as Salame expresses frustration over international competition on Libya
On 5 September, Italy’s Interior Minister Marco Minitti visited LNA Commander Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi just a day after the French FM Jean-Yves Le Drian completed his tour of Libya. The new UNSMIL chief Ghassan Salamé is said to be frustrated by the succession of independent bilateral attempts to broker a solution to Libya’s crises, particularly ahead of the UN General Assembly’s meeting on Libya on 20 September.
5-12 September: DMSC Facing Backlash After Salafist Tortured and Killed in Derna
The DMSC is experiencing significant local backlash after the alleged abduction, torture and killing of a pro- LNA Salafist resident of Derna on 4 September. On 11 September, a key figurehead of the hardliner Islamist faction, Sheikh Abdul Razzag Emshirib, was reportedly detained by Tripoli’s GNA-aligned Special Deterrence Force (Rada).
5-12 September: Serraj, Saleh And Swehli Attend AU Summit On Libya In Brazzaville
On 9 September GNA PM Serraj, HoR President Saleh and the head of the High Council of State Swehli attended African Union summit on Libya in Brazzaville, Congo. The Shahid Nouri Friwan Brigade stated its support for Basit Igtet’s presidential bid and warned “against [those] trying to silence people’s voices” during Igtet’s planned demonstrations in Tripoli later this month. Mohamed al-Senussi, stated that elections will not be possible and instead called for the restoration of Libya’s 1951 post-independence constitution.
30 Aug- 5 Sept: ISIS Claim Car Bomb Killing 4 in Nawfaliya
ISIS media claimed responsibility for a car bomb attack on a Libyan National Army (LNA) checkpoint at the entrance of al-Nawfaliya town, on 31 August. It was reported that ISIS units moved in to al-Teysseen, a town 90 kms east of Sirte, on 1 September. They allegedly held an Eid prayer in the local mosque and took positions in the town. The LNA air force launched a series of airstrikes targeting ISIS positions, from Ras Lanuf airstrip on 2 September.
30 Aug- 5 Sept: French FM Visits Libya
The French Foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Libya on 4 September. A French diplomatic source said the visit was intended to dovetail with efforts by U.N. Envoy Ghassan Salamé to announce a road map to elections during the coming U.N. General Assembly.
30 Aug- 5 Sept: Misrata Counter Terrorism Unit Arrests BDB Member
Misrata Counter Terrorism Unit arrested a senior member of the BDB, Ahmed Bakir, for alleged cooperation with ISIS and supplying foreign mercenaries to extremist groups. The CT unit also released a ‘confessions’ video of senior BRSC affiliate, Mohammed al-Khafifi, admitting membership in ISIS and claiming that his group had cooperated with the BDB in a number of suicide attacks
30 Aug- 5 Sept: Serraj Snubs East with New CoS appointment
On 30 August, Serraj appointed a Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army under the GNA, a move rejected by the LNA. On 1 September, a Zawiyya militia attacked a demonstration in commemoration of Gaddafi’s revolution, organised by local rivals affiliated with the LNA.