On 3 March, PM (also MoD) Abdul Hameed Dabaiba established a joint operations room led by MoD Undersecretary for Regions and Military Affairs Abdussalam al-Zoubi to control and secure oil fields in the western and southwestern regions from security threats. The 111th Brigade (which is led by Zoubi), the 444 Brigade, the 19th Border Guard Brigade (headquartered in Misrata; includes the 407th Battalion in Zintan), and the Joint Operations Force are tasked with mobilizing their equipment and forces to deter armed groups. Zoubi shall collaborate with officers from the 444 Brigade and representatives from each assigned unit to make operational decisions. The joint operations room will use force if necessary against groups threatening the oil fields and pursue any destabilizing armed elements.
Also on 3 March, the 53rd Infantry Brigade of the Libyan Army’s Central Military District launched patrols from Misrata toward al-Shuwayrif ‘to enhance security, prevent security violations, and arrest lawbreakers’.