Battle of Tripoli (2018)

Last updated

Battle of Tripoli
Part of the Libyan Civil War (2014–2020) and 2016–18 West Libya clashes
Tripolilibyanasa.jpg
Satellite image of central Tripoli, 2005
Date27 August – 25 September 2018
(4 weeks and 1 day)
Location
Tripoli, Libya
Result Ceasefire
Belligerents
Flag of Libya.svg Seventh Brigade
Kani Militia
Somoud Brigade
Libyan Tribesmen [1] 		Flag of Libya.svg Tripoli Brigade [2]
Abu Salim Central Security Force [3]
301 Brigade
RADA
Nawassi Brigade
Libyan state guards

Flag of Libya.svg Government of National Accord
National Oil Corporation Guards [4]

Contents

Flag of Libya.svg Misrata Brigades [5]
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Libya.svg Mohsen al-Kani (leader of al-Kanni militia)
Flag of Libya.svg Abd al-Wahhab al-Magri (commander of the 7th -later renamed 9th- brigade)
Flag of Libya.svg Salah Badi (leader of Somoud brigade) [6] 		Flag of Libya.svg Haitham Tajouri
Flag of Libya.svg Hashem Bishr
Flag of Libya.svg Abdelghani Al-Kikli (Abu Salim Central Security Force Commander) [7] 		Flag of Libya.svg Fayez al-Sarraj
Flag of Libya.svg Abdussalam Ashour
Units involved

7th brigade (2000) Central support unit (1000) Supportive force (500)

Somoud brigade (500)

Tripoli brigade (800)

Special Deterrence Force (800)

Alnawasi brigade (700)

Joint Deterrence and Intervention Force Abu Salim (600)

301st infantry brigade (500)

Bab Tajura Battalion (300)

Guarantee Battalion (200)		 anti-terrorism force (3500)
Casualties and losses
25+ 32 militiamen killed None
115 killed, 383 injured [8]
25,000 civilians displaced [9]

The Battle of Tripoli was a series of clashes in Tripoli, Libya from 27 August to 25 September 2018 during the Second Libyan Civil War. It was fought between several militias and was ended by a ceasefire.

Prelude

Clashes between militias broke out in Tripoli from 26 to 27 August 2018, touching off renewed fighting in the city after 18 months of relative calm. [10] [11] The clashes pitted the 7th Brigade, originating from the town of Tarhuna, against three militias from Tripoli: Ghneiwa, the Tripoli Brigade and the Nawasi Brigade. [11] [12] All four militias were, however, officially affiliated to the Government of National Accord led by Fayez al-Sarraj. [10] [11]

Since 2016, Tripoli had been controlled by four militias: the Tripoli Brigade, the RADA Special Deterrence Forces, the Nawasi Brigade and Ghneiwa. [11] RADA was Madkhalist and Salafist, while the other three groups did not profess any particular ideology. [11] According to analysts Wolfram Lacher and Alaa al-Idrissi, these four militias formed a "cartel" monopolizing state resources while being protected by their support for the GNA. [11] In June 2018, Lacher and al-Idrissi further stated that "such a situation is untenable" and "risks provoking a new major conflict started by political-military forces who feel excluded from this cartel in access to the levers of the administration." The August 2018 announcement of the reopening of Tripoli International Airport from having been damaged by warfare in 2014 aroused hostility from the 7th Brigade, which was excluded from the cartel and claimed that residents of Tarhuna had a right to a share of the revenues generated by the airport. [11]

Jalel Harchaoui, a Libya expert at Paris 8 University Vincennes-Saint-Denis, reported that "the four or five largest Tripoli militias have provided relative security on a daily basis, which is appreciated by the population but also foreign states interested in maintaining a diplomatic and commercial presence to take advantage of reconstruction opportunities." However, "this situation was untenable" because the cities of Zintan and Misrata "felt excluded from this new balance of power." [13] Militias from these cities had dominated Tripoli after the First Libyan Civil War until those from Zintan were expelled from the city in 2014, while those from Misrata withdrew in 2016 with the formation of the GNA. [13] [14]

The GNA and Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, meanwhile, claimed that they had issued orders of dissolution to the 7th Brigade in April 2018, but RFI reported that the force continued to draw salaries before the Battle of Tripoli. [13] [15] The brigade soon declared that it was now part of the army and was aiming to "liberate" the capital. [13] Some days after fighting began, the Somoud Brigade, an Islamist force from Misrata led by Salah Badi, intervened in support of the 7th Brigade. [11] [13]

Battle

On 27 August, the 7th Brigade engaged several brigades from Tripoli on its way there from Tarhuna. [14] [16] Fighting first broke out in the neighbourhoods of Salah Eddine and Qasr bin Ghashir, south of Tripoli. [10] On 31 August, Tripoli International Airport was closed after suffering damage from rocket fire. [17] The same day, a ceasefire was announced, but it was not respected by belligerents. [13] On 2 September, the GNA declared a state of emergency in the capital and its surrounding areas. [11] 400 prisoners from Ain Zara Prison, south of Tripoli, took advantage of the fighting to escape the same day. [14] [11] [13]

Various other groups then joined the battle, further complicating the situation. [18] The GNA, meanwhile, lacked a formal military or real control over the warring militias. [16] [18] al-Sarraj then called upon brigades from Zintan and an "anti-terrorist brigade" from Misrata that had participated in the 2016 Battle of Sirte to intervene between the belligerents. [16] [14] On 2 September, the Misrata Brigades arrived on the outskirts of Tripoli. They did not immediately engage in combat but urged other militias to cede control of government buildings in the city centre. Still, new militias from Misrata and Zintan as well as smaller units loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar continued to reinforce the 7th Brigade. [18]

On 4 September, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya announced the signing of a new ceasefire agreement between the armed groups in Tripoli. [19] [20] Nevertheless, fighting continued in the hours following the signing of the accords. [21] On 6 September, Haftar threatened to march on Tripoli. [22] The fragile truce was eventually respected by all parties. [23] [24] On 9 September, several armed groups agreed to cooperate on "consolidating" the ceasefire. [25]

On 10 September, the headquarters of the National Oil Corporation was attacked by three to five armed men. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the incident. [26] The building was subsequently recaptured by RADA, which reported that two attackers and two NOC employees had been killed. [27]

On 12 November, rockets hit Mitiga International Airport, the only functional airport in Tripoli, which was controlled by RADA. All flights were cancelled, having previously been stopped from 31 August to 6 September. [28]

In mid-September, UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassam Salamé recorded 14 ceasefire violations in one week, although he still described it as "generally respected." [28]

However, on 18 September, fighting resumed in southern Tripoli, causing power outages in the southern and western Libya. [28] [29] The main clashes took place in Salah Eddine and on the road to Tripoli International Airport. [30] By 20 September, the fighting had killed nine people, including two civilians, and wounded 13, included four civilians. [30]

On 25 September, a new ceasefire was signed between the Tarhuna and Tripoli militias and Mitiga International Airport was reopened. The agreement also mandated the formation of a mixed regular force composed of Tripoli and Tarhuna police to secure the southern suburb of Tripoli. [31]

Casualties

On 3 September 2018, the Ministry of Health published an official report recording at least 50 deaths and 138 people wounded since 27 August. [32] On 8 September, the casualties reached at least 78 dead and 313 wounded. [33] This increased to 115 dead and 400 wounded on 23 September. [34] After the new ceasefire of 25 September, the toll was recorded as least 117 deaths and 400 wounded. [31]

Analysis

According to analyst Carlo Degli Abbati, "France's decision to accelerate the electoral process by fixing the [elections] date on 10 December increased tensions in the country and provoked a change in alliances for the 7th Brigade, a Tarhuna brigade that joined the side of Marshal Haftar. Having the wind in their sails due to their strong external support, they could have staged a coup d'état to take power. That's probably what just happened." [35]

Aftermath

Further combat occurred in Tripoli from 18 to 19 January, killing 10 people and wounding 41. [36]

Reactions

Supranational

National

Domestic

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tripoli International Airport</span> Former airport in Libya

Tripoli International Airport is a closed international airport built to serve Tripoli, the capital city of Libya. The airport is located in the area of Qasr bin Ghashir, 24 kilometres (15 mi) from central Tripoli. It used to be the hub for Libyan Airlines, Afriqiyah Airways, and Buraq Air.

Tarhuna, also Tarhoona or Tarhunah, is a Libyan village 65 kilometres (40 mi) to the southeast of Tripoli, in the Murqub District. The Tarhuna District, including the city of Msallata, had an urban population of about 296,000. The population in Tarhuna proper was calculated to be 13,264 in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libyan Army</span> Military forces in Libya

The Libyan Army is the brand for a number of separate military forces in Libya, which were under the command of the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Government of National Unity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libyan National Army</span> Armed forces under the control of Khalifa Haftar mostly in the East of Libya

The Libyan National Army or the Libyan Arab Army is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar when he was nominated to the role on 2 March 2015 by the House of Representatives, consisting at the time of a ground force, an air force and a navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaddafi loyalism</span> Sympathetic sentiment towards the overthrown government of Muammar Gaddafi

Gaddafi loyalism, in a wider political and social sense also known as the Green resistance, consists of sympathetic sentiment towards the overthrown government of Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed in October 2011, and his Third International Theory. Despite Muammar Gaddafi's death, his legacy and Jamahiriya ideology still maintains a popular appeal both inside and outside Libya into the present day. Regardless, the Western sentiment has largely been that this continued support may contribute to some of the ongoing violence in Libya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libyan civil war (2014–2020)</span> Armed conflict in Libya

The Libyan civil war (2014–2020), also more commonly known as the Second Libyan Civil War, was a multilateral civil war which was fought in Libya between a number of armed groups, but mainly the House of Representatives (HoR) and the Government of National Accord, for six years from 2014 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Salvation Government</span> Government body in State of Libya

The National Salvation Government was a government body formed by politicians from the General National Congress's blocs that lost the June 2014 elections in Libya. The NSG was led by Khalifa al-Ghawil. The term Libya Dawn Coalition was used to refer to the armed groups and the wider political movement supporting the NSG. The NSG was one of the major sides in the Second Libyan Civil War from its formation August 2014 until its dissolution in April 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libyan Crisis (2011–present)</span> Conflicts in Libya from 2011 onwards

The Libyan Crisis is the current humanitarian crisis and political-military instability occurring in Libya, beginning with the Arab Spring protests of 2011, which led to two civil wars, foreign military intervention, and the ousting and death of Muammar Gaddafi. The first civil war's aftermath and proliferation of armed groups led to violence and instability across the country, which erupted into renewed civil war in 2014. The second war lasted until October 23, 2020, when all parties agreed to a permanent ceasefire and negotiations.

Khalifa al-Ghawil, sometimes transliterated as Khalifa al-Ghweil or Ghwell, is a Libyan politician. He was the prime minister of the General National Congress-led National Salvation Government in Tripoli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fayez al-Sarraj</span> Libyan politician and architect

Fayez Mustafa al-Sarraj is a Libyan politician who served as the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya and Head of Government of the Government of National Accord from 2016 to 2021, which was formed on 17 December 2015 under the Libyan Political Agreement. He has been a member of the Parliament of Tripoli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of National Accord</span> Government of Libya

The Government of National Accord was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. The agreement was unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, which welcomed the formation of a Presidency Council for Libya and recognized the Government of National Accord as the sole legitimate executive authority in Libya. On 31 December 2015, Chairman of the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh Issa declared his support for the Libyan Political Agreement. The General National Congress has criticized the GNA on multiple fronts as biased in favor of its rival parliament the House of Representatives.

This is a detailed timeline of the Libyan civil war (2014–2020) which lasted from 2014 to 2020.

Clashes occurred in western Libya since 14 October 2016, when a coup d'état attempt was conducted by the former head of the National Salvation Government (GNS), Khalifa al-Ghawil, against Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA). This evolved into fighting between the GNA and GNS for control of Tripoli and parts of western Libya, while pro-GNA militias also attacked other militias for control of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Libya campaign</span> Military Campaign in Western Libya

The Western Libya campaign was a military campaign initiated on 4 April 2019 by the Operation Flood of Dignity of the Libyan National Army, which represents the Libyan House of Representatives, to capture the western region of Libya and eventually the capital Tripoli held by the United Nations Security Council-recognised Government of National Accord. The Government of National Accord regained control over all of Tripoli in June 2020 and the LNA forces withdrew from the capital, after fourteen months of fighting.

This is the order of battle for the Western Libya campaign, codenamed "Operation Flood of Dignity" by forces under Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The forces supporting Haftar and the House of Representatives, mainly the Libyan National Army, are opposed by the armed forces of the forces loyal to the Government of National Accord, including the Libyan Army and the Tripoli Protection Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Sirte (2020)</span> Battle of the Second Libyan Civil War

The Battle of Sirte took place on January 6, 2020 during the Second Libyan Civil War. The Libyan National Army of Marshal Khalifa Haftar took the city from the forces of the Fayez el-Sarraj Government.

Ali Kanna Sulayman is a Libyan lieutenant general of Tuareg origin. He was the commander of Muammar Gaddafi's southern forces in the First Libyan Civil War. After the end of the Fezzan campaign, he fled to Agadez and helped other Gaddafi loyalists, most notably air force commander Ali Sharif Al-Rifi, escape to Niger.

The Battle of Kikla was a confrontation between Zintan Brigades and Fajr Libya in Kikla, Libya between 11 October and 24 November 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Volcano of Rage</span>

Operation Volcano of Anger, alternatively known as Operation Volcano of Rage, was a military resistance campaign launched by the Government of National Accord in Libya to counter the advances of the Libyan National Army led by General Khalifa Haftar. The conflict, which began in April 2019, has witnessed intense fighting around the capital city, Tripoli, and other strategic locations in the country. The operation is part of the broader armed conflict in Libya, marked by shifting alliances, foreign involvement, and a struggle for control over the nation's political future.

References

  1. ↑ "Libyan tribesmen support Seventh Brigade and call for liberating Tripoli - Libyan Express - Libya News, Opinion, Analysis and Latest Updates from Libya". 15 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  2. ↑ "Gunfight re-emerges south of Tripoli - The Libya Observer". www.libyaobserver.ly. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "As clashes resume, situation threatens to spin out of control in Tripoli".
  4. ↑ "Libyan NOC reopens runway at Wafa oilfield after protest ends". english.alarabiya.net. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  5. ↑ "Misrata takes its military might to Tripoli's militia battle - Libyan Express - Libya News, Opinion, Analysis and Latest Updates from Libya". 22 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  6. ↑ "Notorious militia leader returns to ignite Libya conflict". 30 August 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  7. ↑ "Tripoli ceasefire broken, condemned by UNSMIL -". www.libyaherald.com. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  8. ↑ Elumami, Ahmed. "Tripoli clashes leave 115 dead, 383 injured- health ministry". Reuters. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  9. ↑ "25,000 displaced by fighting in Libya's Tripoli: UNICEF – Brinkwire". en.brinkwire.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 "Libye: deux milices liées au gouvernement d'union s'affrontent à Tripoli". RFI (in French). 27 August 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "En Libye, Tripoli bascule à nouveau dans les combats de milices". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2 September 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  12. ↑ "En Libye, les failles du " pacte sécuritaire " de Tripoli". Le Monde.fr (in French). 3 May 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 magazine, Le Point (3 September 2018). "Libye : Tripoli est à nouveau le théâtre de violents affrontements". Le Point (in French). Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Libye: le chaos jusqu'où?". LExpress.fr (in French). 5 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  15. ↑ "Libye: chaos, état d'urgence et nouveaux combats entre milices à Tripoli". RFI (in French). 3 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Macé, Célian. "Le "cartel" des milices de Tripoli aux prises avec ses rivaux". Libération (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  17. ↑ "Libye: l'aéroport de Tripoli fermé après des tirs de roquette". LEFIGARO (in French). 31 August 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  18. 1 2 3 "" Le conflit à Tripoli vient du pillage de l'Etat par un cartel de milices mafieuses "". Le Monde.fr (in French). 6 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "L'ONU annonce un accord de cessez-le-feu près de Tripoli". VOA (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  20. ↑ "L'Onu annonce un accord de cessez-le-feu à Tripoli". Challenges (in French). 4 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "Libye: à peine annoncée, la trêve entre milices à Tripoli déjà violée". RFI (in French). 5 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  22. ↑ "Libye: le maréchal Haftar se dit prêt à marcher sur Tripoli". RFI (in French). 7 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  23. ↑ "À Tripoli, la trêve entre milices est une illusion". Tribune de Genève (in French). ISSN   1010-2248 . Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  24. ↑ "Libye : un calme précaire est revenu à Tripoli". LEFIGARO (in French). 6 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  25. ↑ "Des groupes armés d'accord pour un cessez-le-feu à Tripoli". fr.news.yahoo.com (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  26. ↑ "En Libye, l'organisation Etat islamique fait peser un danger inédit sur Tripoli". Le Monde.fr (in French). 11 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  27. ↑ "Quatre morts dans l'attaque du siège de la NOC à Tripoli". Challenges (in French). 10 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  28. 1 2 3 "En Libye, reprise des combats au sud de Tripoli". Le Monde.fr (in French). 19 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  29. ↑ "Reprise des combats au sud de Tripoli". L'Orient-Le Jour. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  30. 1 2 "Libye : au moins 9 morts après une nouvelle journée de combats près de Tripoli". L'Orient-Le Jour. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  31. 1 2 "Libye: arrêt des combats à Tripoli après un nouveau cessez-le-feu". LExpress.fr (in French). 26 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  32. ↑ "En Libye, plus de 1 800 familles déplacées par les combats près de Tripoli". Le Monde.fr (in French). 4 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  33. ↑ MATIN, LE. "Affrontements à Tripoli". Le Matin (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  34. ↑ Bourse, Zone. "Les combats dans Tripoli ont fait plus de cent morts en un mois". www.zonebourse.com (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  35. ↑ "Des violences de mauvais augure pour les élections en Libye". La Libre Afrique (in French). 18 September 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  36. ↑ AfricaNews (19 January 2019). "Libye : retour au calme à Tripoli après deux jours de combats". Africanews (in French). Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  37. ↑ "European Union Condemns Violence in Libya's Capital". The Sentinel. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  38. ↑ "International community calls for calm as clashes shake up Libya's capital - The Libya Observer". www.libyaobserver.ly. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  39. 1 2 "Dozens dead after days of clashes near Libyan capital - France 24". 31 August 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  40. ↑ Irish, John. "As Tripoli violence rises, France wants sanctions on militias". U.S. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  41. ↑ Al-awsat, Asharq. "Libya's Haftar: LNA Not Involved in Tripoli Clashes". aawsat.com (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  42. ↑ "Libya's Haftar: Army will intervene in Tripoli at the right time". english.alarabiya.net. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.