by Jason | Jan 17, 2017 | International actors
On 11 January, Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), was formally received aboard the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia’s only aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. The Russian vessel is currently anchored off the coast of Tubruk. While on board,...
by Jason | Jan 17, 2017 | Other Jihadi Actors
Last week, clashes resumed between the Libyan National Army (LNA) commanded by Haftar and the coalition of jihadis in Benghazi as the LNA attempted to take full control of the Abu Saneeb area of Ganfuda. On 12 January, 17 year old Mohammed Sallabi was killed in a...
by Jason | Jan 17, 2017 | Libyan actors
On 12 January, militias allied to Khalifa al-Ghwell, leader of a rival government in Tripoli, seized several ministerial buildings in Tripoli. Al-Ghwell took over the Government of National Accord’s (GNA) Ministry of Defense, seizing it just hours after a meeting was...
by Jason | Jan 10, 2017 | ISIS
On 4 January, an ISIS fighter from Derna conducted a suicide bombing against Government of National Accord (GNA) aligned al-Bunyan al-Marsus forces in the eastern area of Sirte, however no casualties were reported. On 8 January, an ISIS member captured by the LNA...
by Jason | Jan 10, 2017 | International actors
On 9 January, the Italian Foreign Ministry announced it was sending its ambassador back to Libya. Italy was the last Western nation to close its embassy in Libya in 2015. Now, it is the first Western diplomatic mission to reopen. The Foreign Ministry’s statement said...
by Jason | Jan 10, 2017 | Other Jihadi Actors
On 5 January, a group of jihadi fighters including ISIS, Ansar al-Sharia (AS) and Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council (BRSC) militants attempted a coordinated breakout from the Sabri and Ganfuda areas in Benghazi, which are currently besieged by Libyan National Army...
by Jason | Jan 10, 2017 | Libyan actors
On 2 January, units from Misrata’s Third Force retook the strategic checkpoint of Gweirat al-Mal that lies between Brak and Temenhint airbases in south-west Libya. Libyan National Army (LNA) forces had seized the checkpoint last week. The Misratan advance took the LNA...
by Jason | Jan 3, 2017 | ISIS
Sources report there is evidence of an ISIS presence in the area between Bin Walid, Brak al-Shati and Sebha in southern Libya. ISIS fighters reportedly use the desert roads which connect to the Man Made River pipeline network to move between areas, raid supplies and...
by Jason | Jan 3, 2017 | International actors
Egypt and Algeria have intensified the pace of diplomacy with Libyan actors. Several meetings have taken place between various political players in both countries. Haftar’s visit to Algeria on 18 December coincided with that of Libyan Muslim Brotherhood leader Ali...
by Jason | Jan 3, 2017 | Other Jihadi Actors
Libyan National Army (LNA) gains in Ganfuda, an area in south-west Benghazi, against the jihadist coalition comprising the Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council (BRSC) and Islamic State (ISIS), have slowed. For the last two weeks, LNA fighters maintained two no-fire...
