by Jason | Jun 12, 2017 | EOIL Publications
On 20 June, the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Centre will convene a discussion on its new report, The Origins and Evolution of ISIS in Libya. The unique, comprehensive, and groundbreaking report examines the jihadist dynamics in Libya and offers...
by Jason | Jun 7, 2017 | EOIL Publications
Mapping Libya’s Jihadists June 7, 2017 In a long form article for Norwegian NGO Hate Speech International, Jason Pack and Rhiannon Smith map out the history and context of Libya’s myriad jihadist groups. Six years after protests first erupted in February...
by Jason | Jun 6, 2017 | ISIS
On 5 June, the anti-crime unit of Misrata’s security forces released a recording that claims to show the ‘confessions’ of ISIS fighter Ahmed al-Mshiti. Known as Aseeda, he was one of the leading ISIS figures in the Sabri area of Benghazi, and was captured on his...
by Jason | Jun 6, 2017 | International actors
On 5 June, the House of Representatives (HoR) announced it was cutting (non-existent) diplomatic ties with Qatar, in line with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, in light of its support for ‘terrorist’ groups. It said Qatar had contributed to the destabilization of...
by Jason | Jun 6, 2017 | Other Jihadi Actors
On 2 June, fierce clashes took place between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Derna Mujahadeen Shura Council (DMSC) in the Derna area. Suliman al-Huwat al-Marimi (aka Abu Hurirah), a DMSC field commander, and Mohammed al-Khajkhaj, (aka al-Muqdad), a DMSC media...
by Jason | Jun 6, 2017 | Libyan actors
The Libyan National Army (LNA) made progress in southern Libya last week, evicting the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) from the Jufra airbase and taking control of the entire Jufra area, pushing the BDB north towards Sirte. Many locals welcomed the arrival of the LNA...
by Jason | May 30, 2017 | ISIS
According to local sources, on 24 May militias clashed with ISIS fighters near Bani Walid. Four ISIS fighters were killed. ISIS fighters are still active in the area after dispersing into the desert south-west of Sirte following their defeat at the hands of the...
by Jason | May 30, 2017 | International actors
On 26 May, Egypt conducted six airstrikes against targets in Derna, supposedly in retaliation for the massacre of 28 Coptic Christians in Egypt’s Minya province the same day. The attack was claimed by ISIS. Further airstrikes were launched on 29 May. Targets included...
by Jason | May 30, 2017 | Other Jihadi Actors
On 27 May, Ansar al-Sharia (AS) officially announced that it had disbanded itself. AS’s leadership and fighting force has been weakened in over the last three years through its fight against the Libyan National Army (LNA). The disbanding statement is significant...
by Jason | May 30, 2017 | Libyan actors
On 26 May, pro Government of National Accord (GNA) militias managed to defeat rival anti-GNA militias aligned with hard-line Islamists in an intense battle in Tripoli. 52 people died and more than 130 were injured in the clashes. Pro-GNA ‘Tripoli militias’–...
