Timeline of the Libyan Civil War (2014–present)

The timeline of the 2014 Libyan Civil War begins in May 2014 and is currently ongoing.

2014

16–17 May 2014: Operation Dignity offensive in Benghazi

Fighting

Hostilities first broke out early in the morning of Friday 16 May 2014 when Gen. Haftar's forces assaulted the bases of certain Benghazi Islamist militia groups, including the one blamed for the 2012 assassination of US ambassador Christopher Stevens. Helicopters, jets and ground forces took part in the assault, killing at least 70, and injuring at least 250. Haftar has vowed to not stop until the extremists groups are purged.^[1][2] Shortly before the assault Haftar reportedly asked a close friend, "Am I committing suicide?"^[3]

The operation, codenamed "Operation Dignity" by Haftar, began when forces loyal to General Haftar attacked units of the February 17th Martyrs Brigade, the Libya Shield No. 1 Brigade (also known as Deraa No. 1 Brigade), and Ansar al-Sharia. Fighting was largely confined to the south western Benghazi districts of Hawari and Sidi Ferej. In particular the fighting focused on the area between the south-western gate checkpoint and the cement factory; an area controlled by Ansar al-Sharia. As part of the fighting helicopters were seen over Hawari. Fighting was also reported in the port area between marines and the Libya Shield No. 1 (Deraa No. 1) Brigade.^[4]

Haftar's forces seemingly moved on Benghazi from the east, with some units originating from Marj. Included within these forces were various tribal units. Elements of the Libyan military in Benghazi then seemingly joined them. There were also unconfirmed reports of forces loyal to Ibrahim Jadhran’s Cyrenaica federalist forces fighting alongside units loyal to Haftar.^[4]

Although the Libyan Air Force and marines have close links with the Saiqa Special Forces Brigade, neither the Brigade, nor the Benghazi Joint Security Room (BJSR), were seemingly involved. The BJSR former spokesperson, Colonel Mohammad Hejazi, spoke of Libyan military forces fighting "terrorist formations" in the Benghazi districts of Sidi Ferej and Hawari. Hejazi also claimed that Libyan "army forces" were now in control of a camp at Rafallah Al-Sahati. Libya Herald also claimed that an eyewitness had claimed to have seen tanks belonging to the Saiqa Brigade stationed on the road in front of its camp at Buatni. The Brigade called for Benghazi residents to avoid districts witnessing the clashes.^[4]

As a result of the fighting the streets of Benghazi were largely empty and roads into Benghazi were effectively closed.^[4] The fighting also resulted in the closure of Benina International Airport, near Benghazi.^[5]

The following day, fighters from Rafallah al-Sahati and the 17 February Brigade also returned to their bases, from which they had been driven off the previous day.^[6]

Haftar's subsequent press release

On 17 May, Haftar held a press conference in which he proclaimed that the current GNC was no longer representing the Libyan people and was illegitimate. He claimed to have uncovered evidence that the GNC had opened Libya's borders to avowed terrorists and had invited numerous international Islamist fighters to come to Libya, offering them Libyan passports. He explained that his primary aim was to "purge" Islamist militants from Libya, specifically the "terrorist" Muslim Brotherhood.^[7]

Government reaction

At a government press conference held as a response to the Benghazi assault, acting Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni condemned the move by Haftar as illegal and claimed that the move undermined attempts to confront terrorism. Thinni had called Ansar al-Sharia a terrorist organisation earlier in May 2014.^[4]

Thinni claimed that only 1 Libyan Air Force plane had taken part in the clashes, alongside 120 army vehicles, although eyewitnesses reported to CNN as having seen multiple aircraft involved in the assault.^[8]

Major General Abdulsalam Jad Allah Al-Salheen Al-Obaidi, the Chief of Staff of the Libyan National Army, also condemned the attack by Haftar, and called forces loyal to him "intruders into Benghazi". Instead Obaidi urged "revolutionaries" in Benghazi to resist them.^[4]

The next day, Libya's army responded to Haftar's airstrikes by proclaiming a no-fly zone over Benghazi banning all flights over the city in a direct challenge to Haftar in order to prevent the paramilitary force from using air power against Islamist militias in the region.^[9][10][11]

Casualties

By the end of the first day Haftar's LNA had seemingly suffered 4 dead and 24 wounded. LNA dead and wounded were taken to a hospital in Marj. The number of dead and wounded from the Islamist groups was made difficult due to Ansar al-Sharia's policy of not releasing casualty reports. The 17th February Brigade similarly released no figures.^[4] Overall, the resulting battle claimed between 70 and 75 lives.^[1]

18 May: Operation Dignity offensive in Tripoli

Gen. Haftar’s militia allies backed by truck-mounted anti-aircraft guns, mortars and rocket fire attacked parliament, sending lawmakers fleeing for their lives as gunmen ransacked the legislature, declaring the body suspended. A commander in the military police in Libya read a statement announcing the body's suspension on behalf of a group led by Haftar.^[12]

The clashes began on the evening of Sunday 18 May, beginning first at the GNC building, before then spreading to Hay Al-Akwakh, particularly in the area of the steel bridge on the Airport road. Missiles were also reported to have fallen close to the TV station on Ennasr Street. Heavy firing was also heard in the Corniche area on the way to Mitiga airbase. The clashes however died down by the late evening.^[13]

Later on Sunday evening a group of 5 officers, who identified themselves as the Leaders of the Libyan Army, announced the suspension of the General National Congress. The officers, under the lead of the Zintani former head of Military Intelligence, Col. Muktar Fernana, instead announced that the Constitutional Committee would carry out the work of the GNC. Under the plan al-Thinni's government was to remain in office, and would oversee the formation of military and security forces. The statement therefore blocked Ahmed Maiteeq from assuming the position of Prime Minister. Col. Fernana also proclaimed that the Libyan people "would never accept to be controlled by a group or organization which initiates terror and chaos".^[14] Col. Fernana claimed that Gen. Haftar had assigned a 60-member assembly to take over from the GNC, with the current government acting only on an emergency basis.^[15]

19–20 May 2014: Military commanders endorse Operation Dignity movement, some militias oppose it

On Monday 19 May Col. Wanis Abu Khamada, the commander of Libya's Special Forces, announced that his forces would be joining Haftar's operation against Islamist militant groups in Benghazi. Khamadas Special Forces had previously come under attack from Islamist militants in Benghazi, with dozens of members of the unit being killed. In his declaration Khamada announced that his unit would join Haftar's Libyan National Army "with all our men and weapons".^[16] Khamada argued that the operation was "the work of the people".^[17] By Monday the death toll for Friday's clashes had reached 79.^[16] However, the Tripoli-based Al-Qaeda-inspired Lions of Monotheism group announced that it would fight forces loyal to Gen. Haftar.^[18]

Forty members of parliament,^[19] and the heads of the navy,^[20] the air-force,^[21] and much of the army have endorsed Haftar. On the evening of 21 May the National Forces Alliance issued a statement of support of Haftar, proclaiming that Libyans have found themselves "drowning in swamp of terrorism, darkness, killing and destruction". The following day the official Libyan news agency claimed that the Interior Ministry had announced its support for Haftar's operation, in direct contrast to the governments denunciation of the operation as a coup.^[22]

The Libyan Revolutionaries Operations Room issued a call for serving military personnel to desert, claiming that they did not need the support of Haftar. The group called on its forces to temporarily withdraw from the Army, and to disclose to their commanders the names of anyone involved in attempting to kill either officials or members of the security forces. It would seek the prosecution of named individuals through the Attorney General’s office. In their announcement LROR claimed that they would lead the fight against criminals in Libya, and would carry on without Haftar or his operation.^[23]

In a televised statement late Wednesday Haftar appeared in a military uniform surrounded by military officers and accused the current Islamist-led parliament of turning Libya to a state "sponsoring terrorism" and a "hideout to terrorists" who infiltrated the joints of the state, wasted its resources and controlled its decision making. He asserted that the military wants the continuation of political life and stressed that the new council is a civilian one in an apparent attempt to defuse fears of militarizing the state.^[24]

Tripoli residents reported several loud explosions earlier that day near the al-Yarmouk air defense barracks. This came after the air defense top commander Juma al-Abani released a video message saying he was joining Haftar's campaign against Islamists. Heavy fighting involving anti-aircraft machine guns mounted on trucks also broke out overnight near an army camp in Tajoura, an eastern suburb. The city was quiet by dawn. The health ministry reported that at least two people from Mali died in the fighting.^[25]

Ansar al-Sharia issued a statement denouncing Haftar's operation as a "war against the religious Muslim youth". The group instead claimed that they had been the subject of a hate campaign by those against Islam and Sharia, and that their opponents were the real terrorists. The group instead claimed that they wished to safeguard Muslim blood and had not hindered the building of Libya's security organisations. The group claimed that the campaign against them was being conducted by "evil television channels" and were led by "ex-regime sympathisers and secularists supported by their masters in the west". The group also asked tribes to prevent their sons from joining Haftars forces.^[26]

22–31 May 2014: Weekly pro-Haftar demonstrations, political and military developments

On both 23 May and 30 May after Friday prayers, tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in various cities including Tripoli and Benghazi in support of Gen. Haftar and his campaign against Islamist militias and also in support of Haftar's calls to suspend parliament. In Benghazi, thousands of pro-Haftar demonstrators gathered outside Tibesti Hotel and in the city's Tahreer Square, as well as others in the city of Bayda further east. "No to militias, Libya will not become another Afghanistan" and "Yes to the army, yes to the police", their banners read. Meanwhile, crowds in Tripoli's Martyr's Square chanted against the parliament and in support of a national army and police force to replace the militias that run rampant in the country. They sang the national anthem as they waved the flag and carried banners that read "Yes to Dignity". They called for an official response to the militias. "Libya is in trouble, we want police, we want army", they chanted. While some Libyans don't back Haftar and don't want military rule, they support what he is doing.^[27][28][29] The protest, dubbed the "Friday of Dignity", took its name from the offensive launched by Haftar, one week ago in the eastern city of Benghazi. The demonstrations were some of the largest the country has seen since the uprising three years ago and were the first since then to be held simultaneously in cities across Libya, which put more pressure on the embattled Islamist-led parliament to offer concessions. The interim government issued a statement in support of Friday’s protests and reasserted its proposal this week to suspend parliament. "The participation of tens of thousands [in the protests] requires all to answer to the demands of the people who represent legitimacy that can't be ignored", the statement said.^[29]

In opposition to Haftar, Islamist militias from Misrata, known collectively as the Libyan Central Shield, have deployed in the capital amid a standoff with forces loyal to Haftar.^[30] They are under the command of the country's chief of staff who answers to the GNC.^[31] This followed calls by the head of the now boycotted GNC and the army chief on the Islamist militias to defend the interests of the Islamist backed position of the GNC.^[30][32][33]

Meanwhile, within the Libyan government itself, an intense power struggle has emerged between Maiteeq and Thinni for leadership of the Libyan government, including conflicting orders and statements.^[34] On May 28, Operation Dignity forces carried out airstrikes on the February 17th Martyrs Brigade, one of the biggest and best-trained Islamist militias in eastern Libya. The Islamists allegedly responded with anti-aircraft fire.^[35][36]

June 2014

On 2 June, fighting re-erupts in Benghazi when Ansar al-Sharia militants attacked Haftar's forces, the latter responding with combat helicopter strikes in the west of the city. At least 22 people were killed and 70 wounded, with both sides accusing one another of indiscriminate firing on residential areas. It started the previous day, when aircraft pounded one of the militants' compounds in region. The education ministry closed schools and postponed exams until the violence is quelled and hospitals called for blood donations. Residents in south Benghazi set up checkpoints to avoid being taken by cross-fire in case rival fighters decided to take shelter in their homes. There was also fighting in the eastern town of Al-Marj where dozens were wounded.^[37][38][39]

The next day, Libya's new prime minister Ahmed Maiteeq took office following his previous election by Libya's Islamist-dominated parliament in a contested vote. This was during a power struggle between him and outgoing PM Abdullah al-Thani. Maiteeq was surrounded by an Islamist militia, the Libyan Central Shield, who escorted him to the cabinet building to assume his new post and hold his first cabinet meeting after Al-Thani ordered his forces guarding the building to stand down in order to avoid bloodshed. Al-Thani called on the General National Congress to wait until the country's Supreme Constitutional Court decides whether the Maiteeq's election is legal or not, while Islamist lawmakers who back the new prime minister blamed Al-Thani for Benghazi's violence and accused him of failing to restore security and of preventing the transition of power in favor of Maiteeq.^[38]

On 4 June, four people were killed and several others were wounded, among them was air division chief Gen. Saghr al-Jerushi, in an assassination attempt on Gen. Haftar in his home in the town of Abyar east of Benghazi. Haftar himself survived the attack which took place when a vehicle exploded in a farmhouse where the general held his meetings. His spokesman accused Islamist militias of being behind the attempt.^[40][41] The same day, Michael Greub, a 42-year-old Swiss national who was head of the International Committee of the Red Cross sub-delegation in Misrata, was killed in the city of Sirte when his vehicle was ambushed by masked gunmen right after he left a meeting with two other colleagues. The attackers opened fire on the car, killing him, while his driver and escort managed to escape unharmed. Yves Daccord, the ICRC's director-general condemned the attack and said that the organization was "devastated and outraged".^[42]

The Supreme Constitutional Court of Libya said on June 5 that Ahmed Maiteeq's election was illegal. "The election of Ahmed Maitiq took place without a majority of votes and his appointment was unconstitutional," the court stated. Al Arabiya reported that Abdullah al-Thani and his interim government left the capital for Bayda after being threatened by militia groups that support Maiteeq.^[43] The following day, Libya's intelligence chief Salem al-Hassi submitted his resignation, expressing disapproval over the parliament's insistence on appointing Maiteeq in contested circumstances.^[44] Tarek Mitri, head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, announced an initiative for dialogue bringing together the country's political forces, expressing concern over the violence in Benghazi.^[45] On the same day, Haftar's forces launched air raids on Islamist bases in Benghazi's Sidi Faraj and al-Qawarsheh and destroyed an ammunition warehouse in Derna.^[46]

On 9 June, the Supreme Constitutional Court gave its final ruling on Maiteeq's contested vote, declaring that it was unconstitutional and invalid without citing a legal basis for the decision. The GNC accepted the ruling via a statement by the parliament's second deputy speaker. Maiteeq stepped down shortly after, saying that he would be "the first" to comply with the judiciary's ruling. "Abdullah al-Thani is the caretaker prime minister until congress learns the court's reasons for deciding Maiteeq's election was unconstitutional," he said.^[47] The next day, Haftar announced that he had agreed to a ceasefire deal brokered by the Crisis Committee appointed by the government which also includes dialogue with other warring parties. The deal was attempted to allow Libyans to vote during GNC elections that were to be held on June 25 after parliament agreed to dissolve itself following a ruling by the country's elections commission.^[48][49][50] Meanwhile, Ansar al-Sharia denied reports that it would hold talks with Haftar. "We have not reached agreement with the Crisis Committee, and we did not even agree to negotiate with this dictator [Haftar]," the group said in a statement. This came after the body of one of Ansar al-Sharia's leaders, Al-Mahdi Saad Abu al-Abyad, was found south of Derna. However, the militia group added that it would welcome any talks with tribal leaders instead.^[49] On June 11, a suicide car bomber targeted a checkpoint manned by fighters loyal to Gen. Haftar in Benghazi.^[51] The lorry exploded upon arriving at the post, killing the perpetrator and injuring five soldiers, one losing his leg.^[52]

On 15 June, Haftar's forces launched a new assault on a number of jihadist camps in western Benghazi. The offensive consisted of tanks and rocket launchers and explosions were heard throughout the city. The general's spokesman said that the forces managed to capture several senior Islamists, among them were five militant leaders. An electricity plant near the city's airport was hit by rockets, causing power outages. The number of casualties was unclear but hospital sources indicated that 12 people were killed during the clashes, among them five soldiers and three civilians.^[53][54]

On 17 June, American special forces and FBI personnel captured Ahmed Abu Khattala, whom they suspect to have a connection with the 2012 attack in Benghazi that killed US ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other American nationals. President Barack Obama said that Abu Khattalah will face "the full weight of the American justice system".^[55]

On 22 June, Gen. Haftar gave a 48-hour ultimatum for Turkish and Qatari nationals to leave eastern Libya, accusing both countries of supporting terrorism in the country.^[56]

On 26 June, shortly after the elections, Salwa Bughaighis, a human rights lawyer in Benghazi, who was a critic of both Muammar Gaddafi and several of the Islamist militias which overthrew him, was assassinated in her home.^[57]

Libya Body Count claimed June saw 43 people killed in fighting.^[58]

July 2014: Operation Dawn and fall of Benghazi to Anti-Haftar forces

Operation Dawn (2014) redirects to here

See: Battle of Tripoli Airport

Islamist extremists are reported to have killed some 270 lawyers, judges, activists, military officers, and policemen—activists in civil society—in the course of taking over Benghazi in the summer of 2014.^[59]

On 13 July, a coalition of military entities and militias, including the Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (LROR) and some brigades from the Misrata Union of Revolutionaries, such as Hatten, Mercer, and Haraka,^[60] launched an offensive codenamed "Operation Dawn" on Tripoli International Airport,^[61] thus beginning the Battle of Tripoli Airport. They were later joined by other militias from Misrata, Tripoli, and Zawiya, as well as by Islamist militias, the Knights of Janzour, Amazigh units, and some militias associated with cities of the Jebel Nafusa.^[62] The following day, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya evacuated its staff after 13 people were killed in clashes in Tripoli and Benghazi. The fighting, between government forces and rival militia groups, also forced Tripoli's airport to close. A militia, including members of the LROR, tried to seize control of the airport from the Qaaqaa & Sawaiq Brigades^[63] of the Zintani militia, which has controlled it since Gaddafi was toppled. Both the attacking and defending militias are believed to be on the official payroll.^[64][65] In addition Misrata Airport was closed, due to its dependence on Tripoli International Airport for its operations. Government spokesman, Ahmed Lamine, stated that approximately 90% of the planes stationed at Tripoli International Airport were destroyed or made inoperable in the attack, and that the government may make an appeal for international forces to assist in reestablishing security.^[65][66] A week of prolonged fighting between rival militias in Tripoli airport resulted in at least 47 deaths: the battle involved use of artillery and Grad rockets.^[67]

On 26 July, the United States evacuated its embassy in Tripoli, moving all State Department employees to Tunisia.^[68]

On 27 July, (last day of the fasting month of Ramadan in Libya) an oil depot near Tripoli International Airport was hit by rocket fire, igniting a large blaze. The oil depot has a capacity of 6 million liters, and nearby liquid gas storage facilities were at risk of being ignited by the blaze. Libyan TV stations urged residents to evacuate the area.^[69] By 28 July (Eid al-Fitr day in Libya), firefighters had withdrawn from the site due to fighting in the area, though the fire was not yet under control.^[70]

On 29 July, Islamist groups including Ansar al-Sharia seized a military base in Benghazi that served as the headquarters of the Saiqa Special Forces Brigade; a unit that supports General Khalifa Haftar.^[71] Saiqa Special Forces officer Fadel Al-Hassi claimed that Saiqa abandoned the base, which included both Camp 36 in the Bu Attni district as well as the special forces school, after coming under heavy shelling. The battle for the base involved the use of rockets and warplanes, and resulted in the deaths of at least 30 people. During the fighting a pro-Haftar MiG crashed into waste ground in Kuwaifiya, although the pilot however managed to eject. Operation Dignity Spokesperson Mohamed Hejazi claimed that the aircraft had suffered a technical malfunction, and insisted it had not been shot down.^[72] Following the fall of the base, video footage emerged of Mohamed al-Zahawi, the head of Ansar al-Sharia, as well as Wissam Ben Hamid, the leader of Libya Shield 1, standing outside the base.^[73] Saiqa initially denied the loss of the base, although Saiqa Commander Wani Bukhamada acknowledged the loss by the afternoon of the 29th.^[74] A senior Saiqa official later claimed to the Libya Herald that Saiqa losses in Benghazi between the 21 and 30 July totaled some 63 dead and 200 wounded. Whilst the official was unsure of the number of Islamist dead, he claimed that it was in the dozens. The fighting, having involved indiscriminate shelling and bombing in and around the predominantly residential area of Buatni, also resulted in dozens of civilians being killed in crossfire.^[75]

Mustafa A.G. Abushagur, a politician elected in the July elections, and who was widely tipped to become the next President of the House of Representatives, was kidnapped from his Tripoli home in the late afternoon of the 29 July by an armed group in an ambulance.^[76] He was released several hours later, at 3am in the morning of the 30 July, without any ransom having been paid.^[77] Abushagur later held a conference on the 1 August in Tripoli, where he claimed to have been kidnapped by The Zintani Barq Al-Nasr militia, although he stressed he did not believe the group to have been acting on behalf of their city.^[78]

On 30 July Mohamed Sowan, the leader of the Justice and Construction Party; the Libyan wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, voiced support for the ongoing offensive in Tripoli by Islamist militias against Zintani Militias at Tripoli International Airport. Sawan claimed the offensive was a legitimate response to the anti-Islamist Operation Dignity being led by General Haftar.^[79]

The same day the leader of Ansar al-Sharia declared that Benghazi is an "Islamic Emirate". Protesters opposed to the militia group marched to the al-Jalaa hospital that the militants were guarding and temporarily seized it. The protesters also rallied to the special forces base that Ansar al-Sharia captured, but were dispersed when militants fired upon them.^[80] By 31 July, Islamist forces affiliated with the newly formed Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, which includes Ansar al-Sharia, was reported to have captured most of Benghazi. Forces loyal to General Haftar appeared to have had the territory under its control in the region reduced to Benina International Airport.^[81] Speaking to al-Arabiya News, Haftar denied that Benghazi was under the control of militias, and instead claimed that his National Libyan Army was in control of the city, claiming instead that his LNA forces had only withdrawn from certain positions, and had done so for tactical reasons.^[82]

Aircraft under the command of Brigadier-General Saqr Geroushi, the commander of Operation Dignity Air Force units, later launched nighttime air strikes on what they claimed to be an Ansar al-Sharia base in Ajdabiya, which had recently been taken by Ansar al-Sharia. Geroushi claimed the target; the compound of a Chinese construction company, had been being used by Ansar al-Sharia as an arms depot and a support base for its operations in Benghazi. In response to questions over reported deaths resulting from exploding arms in the depot, Geroushi claimed he did not know if anyone had been killed or injured in the raid. Geroushi claimed however that the assault would continue until Ansar al-Sharia was forced out of the town. Geroushi also claimed that Ansar al-Sharia had been taking their wounded from the fighting in Benghazi to the hospital in Ajdabiya, which he claimed had been taken over by Islamists. He also claimed the more severely wounded were being transported to Misrata, and then on to Turkey for treatment.^[83]

August 2014

On 1 August, the Libyan Health Ministry announced that the recent fighting in the greater Tripoli and Benghazi areas had, up to Wednesday 30 July, resulted in a total of 214 deaths and 981 injuries recorded at hospitals. Libya Body Count, an independent NGO, claimed that July alone had seen over 400 deaths, with 253 recorded in Benghazi, and 130 in Tripoli.^[84]

On 2 August, twenty-two people were killed and more than 70 wounded when a battle broke out in Tripoli International Airport, during which the government claimed that heavily armed groups attacked civilians, displacing hundreds of families.^[85] Over the next couple of days, several missiles landed randomly on the city's airport road and in nearby districts such as Abu Sleem, Seraj and Krimea among others. Rocket attacks in Hadba killed several people, including a 59-year-old Indian worker. In Tripoli's western suburb of Janzour, the local Fursan Janzour militia as well as the National Mobile Forces camp, which is part of the Misrata-led Operation Dawn and allied to the militia, came under attack and were overrun by Zintan's Barq al-Nasr Brigade, backed by Warshefana forces. The number of fatalities during the fighting is unknown. Libya's Red Crescent estimated that 2,500 families were forced to flee during the violence.^[86]

On 5 August, Warshefana forces captured Camp 27, an important military barracks, in an overnight joint operation with the Zintanis from Libya Shield 1, an Islamist militia.^[87] On 6 August 2014, the Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council announced that they had seized three additional army bases in Benghazi, seizing a large number of heavy weapons and armored vehicles in the process.^[88] On 7 August 2014, Camp 27 was reported to have been retaken by forces affiliated with the Operation Libya Dawn coalition.^[89]

On Sunday 10 August Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam Al-Obaidi, the Chief of Staff of the Libyan National Army, gave evidence in a three-hour session before the newly elected House of Representatives in Tobruk.^[90] During the session Obaidi claimed he had "no control" over the various government funded rebel groups.^[91] Speaking about the Libya Shield Force, Obaidi claimed he had no way to find out how many soldiers were fighting under the Force, and also claimed to have no way to either reform the group or change its leadership.^[91] Mohammed el-Jarh, a Libyan analyst based in Tripoli, claimed that members of the House of Representatives were determined to hold Obaidi accountable after his comments.^[91] Benghazi representative Salih al-Shawihidi denied that there were plans to replace Obaidi with Saad al-Qatrani.^[91] The following day a letter that had been sent by Obaidi to numerous militias on the 6 August was leaked on the internet. In the letter Obaidi instructed all groups, including the Libya Shield Forces which are officially under his command, and which he had assigned to Tripoli, to stop fighting. The letter reflected the House of Representatives decision No. 3, which had been issued on the same day, and which ordered all sides to commit to an immediate cease fire.^[92]

Operation Dignity tries to close Benghazi Port

On 11 August Brig. Gen. Saqr Adam Geroushi, Command of Operation Dignity's Air Force Units, stated that Operation Dignity units would attack any ships attempting to enter Benghazi port, despite any orders from Benghazi Municipal Council or the Libyan government.^[93] Geroushi claimed that the port was being used by Islamist fighters to reinforce and resupply their positions in Benghazi, and that reinforcements were being shipped to Benghazi form the ports of Mirsata, Ras Lanuf and Derna.^[93] Operation Dignity Air Units reportedly proceeded to bomb the port of Derna on August 11.^[93]

Operation Dignity forces had previously ordered the port to close, although the Benghazi council had announced on 9 August that the port would remain open.^[93] The same day Operation Dignity spokesperson Mohamed Hejazi claimed all shipping to or from the ports of Misrata or Derna would also be fired upon.^[93] Instead all shipping was ordered to redirect to the Operation Dignity stronghold of Tobruk.^[93]

Assassination in Tripoli

On 12 August, masked gunmen shot dead Col. Muhammad Swaysi, head of Tripoli's police department, when his car was ambushed by two other vehicles after he left a meeting with local authorities in the Tajoura suburb. Two of his colleagues were kidnapped when they attempted to leave the car.^[94] Suways was a supporter of Haftar's Operation Dignity, and had come out against the Misrata-led Operation Libya Dawn. Earlier in the week Suways, who was in charge of security in Tripoli, had ordered Tripoli's police officers to return to work, as Tripoli's police officers had not been in active service since the Civil War. A group calling itself the Official Operations Room, said to be linked with the LROR, claimed on its Facebook page that Misratan militias, with the help of others from Suq al-Huma, had arrested four individuals who it accused of planning to take over a camp in Tajoura. The group described the four as Gaddafi supporters, and claimed two, including Suways, had been killed.^[95]

House votes to disband militias & calls for UN support

On 13 August the House of Representatives passed a law disbanding all officially recognized and funded militias formed after the 2011 February revolution, including Joint Operations Rooms^[96] in an effort to strip the various groups of the legitimacy they claim to have been bestowed on them by the GNC & various government ministries.^[97]

Out of the 104 Representatives present 102 voted in favour of the motion.^[96] A deadline of 31 December 2014 was given for implementing the law.^[96] The House had tried to pass the law the previous day although had failed to agree on the laws wording.^[98] In spite of the law it was unclear how it would be enforced.^[97]

A Libyan lawmaker speaking to Reuters claimed the law to cover "all armed brigades, including all the Shields and Qaqaa and Sawaiq."^[97] Ali Saedy, Representative for Wadi Shatti, in live comments on Libyan TV, claimed that the law had been passed by a large majority of the House. He claimed that some of those opposed to the law felt that the time was not right to dissolve all Libyan militias, whilst others were opposed due to having different opinions or ideologies.^[96] Ali Tekbali, a Representative for Tripoli, claimed that the reason only 104 of the House's 200 members took part was because many Representatives were unable to attend the vote in Tobruk due to being busy with various business.^[96]

The same day the House also called for the United Nations & the Security Council to intervene in Libya in order to protect civilians & government institutions.^[97] Representative Saedy claimed that the House had been forced into calling for international support after the House' calls for a ceasefire were ignored.^[96]

Clashes in Benghazi and airstrikes in Tripoli

On 17 August, the Al-Saiqa special forces abandoned their last stronghold in the city, Benina Airport. They were pushed out through Gwarsha into Benghazi's Buatni district where Operation Dignity forces had asked the residents to leave the area for their safety. The head of Al-Saiqa said that the unit took over the airport road which was held by Ansar al-Sharia, adding that the Islamist group had been firing shells into Buatni's surroundings and that heavy clashes took place in Ard Bayera.^[99]

Later that day, unidentified warplanes bombarded a number of positions in Tripoli, including the Islamist-held Wadi Rabie camp and an ammunition store owned by Misrata's Hattin Brigate in the town of Qasr bin Ghashir near the city's international airport. Five people were killed and more than 30 were wounded during the overnight operation. The government confirmed the incident and the Libyan armed forces' chief of staff, Gen. Abdulsalam Al-Obaidi, said that the attack involved two unidentified aircraft powered by laser-guided smart bombs and missiles fired from a 7 to 8 kilometers altitude.^[100] He also said that the government's air force was not equipped with such weaponry and did not have the required technology nor the capacity to carry out the raids.^[101] Furthermore, none of the country's militias are known to have warplanes. The Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (LROR) allied to the Misratan brigades blamed Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s forces. Operation Dignity forces initially denied any involvement, adding that they only provided the coordinates.^[100] However, Haftar's air chief, Gen. Saqr Geroushi, later confirmed his forces' involvement in a statement to Reuters. "We, the Operation Dignity, officially confirm to have conducted air strikes on some militias' locations belonging to Misrata militias," he said.^[102] Geroushi also added that a munitions base at Sdada, south of Misrata, had also been bombed.^[100]

Towns reject House of Representatives

The same weekend delegations from the cities of Misrata, Khoms, Zliten and Emsalata travelled to Sebha to in an attempt to try and persuade the local council and civil society organisations to order the area’s nine representatives in the new House of Representatives to withdraw.^[103] Several days later the Sebha Municipal Council building was stormed by armed men who prevented council officials from reading a joint statement on Operation Dawn. One official claimed those responsible were members of the Awlad Sulaiman tribe, which is opposed to Operation Dawn.^[104]

On 19 August, the Amazigh towns of Nalut and Kabaw in the Nafusa Mountains announced a boycott of the House of Representatives, which they claimed was unconstitutional.^[103] The Nalut Municipal Council, along with Nalut's revolutionary brigades and civil society organisations called on Salem Ignan, the towns representative, to withdraw from the parliament, which they claimed had an obvious bias towards Haftar's Operation Dignity, as seen in the fact that it was based in Tobruk. The Kabaw town leadership claimed that they would not recognise any decisions made by the new parliament, and also that the towns representative, Ali Al-Asawi, did not, and had never, represented the town. Both towns in particular rejected the House's call for foreign intervention in Libya in response to the upsurge in violence. Despite the timing of the announcements, the boycotts were seen as having more to do with long standing Amazigh boycott of the parliament over the issue of Amazigh representation, and less to do with the opposition to the parliament from Misrata and Islamist groups. It was immediately unclear whether the representatives from the towns would boycott the parliament.^[103]

The following day leaders in Tarhuna released a statement announcing their opposition to the House of Representatives and their support for Operation Dawn. The town released a joint statement from the towns revolutionaries, Local Council, Military Council, Elders, Shura Council and a number of civil society organisations, in which they announced that the towns four representatives in the parliament did not represent the town, and represented only themselves. The town leaders also rejected all decisions made by the parliament, especially its recent call for a foreign intervention in Libya. The statement denounced the call as a "flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Libya and a betrayal of the will of the Libyan people," and claimed that the airstrikes conducted several days prior against Operation Dawn were the result of the decision. The groups also declared that they had set up a Revolutionary Shura Council of Tarhuna, which they claimed would assume full responsibility for correcting the path of the nation and implementing the principles of and goals of the Libyan Revolution.^[105]

Splits emerge in Benghazi

Splits between Islamist groups in Benghazi also began to emerge in mid-August. On 16 August, a Muslim Brotherhood group made up of more moderate Islamists announced a new group to deal with problems in the city, called the Shura Council of Benghazi. In response, the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, a jihadist group, denounced the new group and claimed that they would not recognize it. The Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries also claimed that the new rival group was attempting to grab power and capitalize on the gains made by the jihadists.^[106][107]

Fall of Tripoli Airport

On 23 August, after more than a month of fighting, Tripoli International Airport finally fell to fighters from Libyan Central Shield, a coalition of Islamist and Misrata forces.^[108][109] The following day, Operation Dawn forces announced that they have consolidated the whole city and adjacent towns after driving out rival Zintan militias 90 kilometers south of the capital.^[110] Libya's newly elected parliament condemned the offensive and called the militants now in control of Tripoli "terrorist organizations". Operation Dawn spokesman later called for the re-assembly of the previous Islamist-dominated GNC and said that the taking over of the airport was necessary to "save the country's sovereignty".^[111] The Los Angeles Times reported that at least 90% of the airport's facilities, and 20 airplanes, were destroyed in the fighting.^[112]

September 2014

Islamist armed groups extended their control over central Tripoli. The Council of Deputies parliament set up operations on a Greek car ferry in Tobruk. A rival General National Congress parliament continued to operate in Tripoli.^[110][113]

On 15 September, targets in the predominantly Amazigh city of Gharyian were subjected to airstrikes. Khalifa Haftar claimed to have ordered these attacks.^[114]

On 21 September 2014, a rival oil minister, Mashallah al-Zawie, gave a speech at the oil ministry in Tripoli.^[115][116]

October 2014

Military confrontation between factions in western Libya, particularly since the beginning of October, has increasingly been waged between groups supportive of the Zintani brigades and opponents of those forces. The spread of combat zones beyond Tripoli as well as the intensification of fighting in the Nafusa Mountains has accelerated this trend.^[117][118]

A Libya Dawn source reported that clashes had erupted along the al-Kassarat road and in the Wadi al-Hai region.^[119][120] The fighting was primarily between a coalition of Misratan and Gharyianian militiamen and other Libyan Dawn forces on one side and an alliance of the Zintani-oriented Qa'qa' milita and forces aligned with Warshafana and the Noble Tribes on the other. Libyan Dawn forces claim to have captured the Wadi al-Hai region as a result of these battles.^[120]

Heavy fighting commenced in the city of Kikla and the surrounding vicinity on October 11 when Zintani brigades initiated an offensive to gain control over various towns and routes in the Nafusa Mountains.^[121] Many residents wounded in the fighting are being treated at medical facilities in Gharyan.^[121] The escalating strife in the Nafusa Mountains has raised fears of the prospect for broader tribal and ethnic warfare.^[121]

On October 15, units associated with Khalifa Haftar and Operation Dignity staged ground and air attacks against the Ansar al-Sharia and February 17 Martyrs Brigade organizations in Benghazi.^[122] Haftar claimed that this was the concluding stage of Operation Dignity and that he would retire from his position upon the termination of the operation.^[122] There were conflicting reports about possible Egyptian involvement or assistance in the offensive.^[122][123]

Also, on October 15, the Libya Herald quoted a Zintani commander as stating the clashes were ongoing between Zintani militias and the Saraya Gharian force in the vicinity of Gwalish.^[124] The Libya Herald also reported that officials in Gharyan have requested military assistance from the cities of Jadu and Nalut in fighting the Zintani brigades.^[124]

The Tripoli-based political authority has announced its own set of oil policies, drawing criticism and denunciation from Prime Minister Thinni of the Bayda/Tobruk-based government.^[125][126] The rival oil minister, Mashallah al-Zawie, has urged the resumption of stalled investments.^[125][126]

Clashes between Tuareg and Tebu tribal militias have repeatedly flared in Ubari at various times during October.^[127]

On 5 October 2014, radical militants in control of the Libyan city of Derna pledged their allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, thus making Derna the first city outside Syrian and Iraq to become part of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant caliphate.^[128]

November 2014

On November 1, Zintan militia captured the town of Kikla, killing 18 and wounding 84 Islamist fighters.^[129]

On November 5, a Tuareg militia reportedly seized control of the El Sharara oil field in Fezzan.^[130]

On November 11, Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti claimed that the rival Libyan governments had both accepted a peace initiative proposed by Sudan as a framework for resolving the division and conflict permeating the country.^[131]

On November 12, car bombs were detonated in Tobruk and al-Bayda. The Tobruk attack reportedly wounded at least 21 people.^[132] On November 13, bombs targeted the embassies of Egypt and the UAE in Tripoli.^[133]

On November 24, warplanes affiliated with Operation Dignity forces attacked the Mitiga airport in Tripoli. The attack led to a temporary shut down of the airport, though it reportedly failed to damage the airport facilities, as munitions instead struck and damaged nearby houses.^[134] On November 25, a second air raid against Mitiga was conducted, although this attack also failed to incapacitate the facility's infrastructure.^[135] In response to the attack on Mitiga, a court in Tripoli issued an arrest warrant for Khalifa Haftar.^[136]

December 2014

On December 2, local sources in the city of Zuwara reported that aircraft associated with Operation Dignity struck a food supply storage area, a fishing port, and a chemical factory, damaging these facilities, as well as killing eight and wounding twenty-four.^[137][138]

A demonstration was held in Tripoli's Algeria Square calling for the implementation of a constitutional monarchy as a means of resolving some of the country's difficulties.^[139][140]

After amassing strength in Sirte, Misratan forces launched on December 13 an offensive called "Operation Sunrise" against the Petroleum Facilities Guard, led by Ibrahim Jathran, and other pro-Tobruk forces for control of Ras Lanuf and the Sidra oil terminal.^[141] Several days of clashes over the oil facilities have ensued, including the deployment of airstrikes in the struggle.^[142] Most of the air assaults have been conducted by forces allied with the Tobruk-based government, however, Libya Dawn forces allegedly carried out an airstrike on December 16 in the al-Hilal region. This attack reportedly caused no casualties or infrastructure damage.^[142]

On December 16, a car bomb detonated in Tripoli near the city's security headquarters, reportedly causing no casualties but inflicting damage on nearby buildings and cars.^[142]

On December 18, the National Oil Corporation reiterated its commitment to political neutrality and independence from partisan affiliation with either of the two rival governments.^[143]

On December 25, Libya Dawn militia launched an assault on a power plant inside Sirte killing at least 19 soldiers. On the same day a rocket struck an oil export terminal in the city of Sidra engulfing it in flames.^[144]

On December 27, a car bomb was detonated in Tripoli near the General Directorate for the Protection of Diplomatic Missions, though no casualties were reported. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.^[145]

On December 28, the Libyan air force struck Misrata airport as a reprisal for attacks by Libya Dawn on oil terminals. A port facility, an air force academy, and a steel plant were also targeted. Local security officials claimed that the airport sustained no damage and remained operational.^[146]

On December 30, the Libyan air force shot down a Libya Dawn helicopter around Al-Sidra oil terminal. Aircraft and at least one helicopter from the militia had attacked government forces deployed in the area.^[147]

2015

January 2015

On 5 January, the Libyan air force bombed a Greek-owned tanker, chartered by Libya's National Oil Corporation, off the coast of Darna that was believed to be acting 'suspiciously', killing two crew members and wounding two. The bombing caused Turkish Airlines, the last foreign airline still flying to Libya, to suspend flights.^[148][149]

On January 9, assailants attacked the al-Nabaa News TV Channel's headquarters in Tripoli with rocket-propelled grenades, inflicting damage on the facility.^[150] No casualties were reported.^[150]

On 16 January, the Operation Dignity and Libya Dawn factions declared a ceasefire and agreed to form a unity government and further political talks.^[151]

On January 27, gunmen attacked the Corinthia Hotel, a location frequently used by Libyan officials and foreign diplomats, in Tripoli.^[152][153] After detonating a car bomb in the parking lot, the assailants stormed the building and opened fire, killing at least ten individuals besides the attackers.^[152][153] Libyan security forces have since reclaimed control over the hotel building. ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attack.^[152][153]

February 2015

On February 4, gunmen believed to be linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant stormed and seized control of the Al-Mabrook oilfield south of the city of Sirte. A French diplomatic source in Paris said four local employees were believed to have been killed in the raid.^[154]

On February 9, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant reportedly took over the town of Nofaliya in Sirte District, after a convoy of 40 heavily armed vehicles arrived from Sirte and ordered Nofaliya's residents to "repent" and pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The fighters appointed Ali Al-Qarqaa as emir of the town.^[155][156]

On February 13, gunmen affiliated with the IS seized government buildings and radio and television stations in Sirte.^[157][158] These force reportedly issued an ultimatum demanding other military entities evacuate the city by the dawn of Sunday (15 February).^[159] In response, the unrecognized rump GNC of the Tripoli-based government announced a decision to form a joint force to reclaim facilities in Sirte from IS militants. However this joint force never did attempt to recapture the city from IS, this comes as a result of Misrata militias withdrawing from Sirte when ISIS attacked their posts.^[160]

On February 15, ISIL in Libya released a video depicting the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt. Within hours, the Egyptian Air Force responded with airstrikes against IS training locations and weapons stockpiles in Derna in retaliation for the killings, killing around 50 militants and 7 civilians.^{[161][162][163]} Warplanes acting under orders from the Tobruk-based government also struck targets in Derna, reportedly in coordination with Egypt, whereas the Tripoli-based government condemned the airstrikes, calling them "terrorism" and "a violation of sovereignty in Libya".^[163][164] On February 19, Qatar recalled its ambassador from Cairo in protest against Egypt's unilateral military action, saying it could harm innocent civilians and advantage one side in Libya's conflict.^[165]

On February 20, IS operatives detonated three bombs in Al Qubbah, targeting a petrol station, a police station, and the home of parliamentary speaker Agila Salah.^[166] These attacks reportedly killed at least 40 people.^[166] The U.S. State Department,^[167] the Misrata Municipality,^[168] and Libya Dawn^[169] condemned the attacks.

On February 21, delegates representing the municipal councils of the cities of Misrata and Zintan met in the town of al-Asabaa and agreed to a prisoner exchange.^[170] Also on February 21, the Misrata Municipal Council created two committees for dialogue, one tasked with the western regions, and the other with the east.^[171]

On February 22, two bombs exploded at the gate of the Iranian ambassador's residence in Tripoli.^[172] No casualties were reported.^[172]

On February 23, the Battar brigade, one of the Islamic State's primary military hosts in Libya, issued a statement "damning" the composition of both governments and a multitude of military bodies in the country as "infidels."^[173] On the same day, the internationally recognized Tobruk's House of Representatives voted to suspend its participation in UN-brokered talks with the Tripoli government.^[174] In response, UNSMIL renewed its call for dialogue.^[175]

Divisions and recriminations among jihadists have reportedly surfaced and have been intensifying in January and February 2015. There were conflicting reports about whether Ansar al-Sharia leader Mohamed Al-Zahawi perished fighting against Operation Dignity forces or if he was executed by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.^[173] The Shura Council of Derna has condemned the Al-Qubbah bombings conducted by the Islamic State, triggering tension between the two groups.^[176]

Following the execution of Egyptian Christians by ISIL militants and the subsequent Egyptian intervention into Libya, the Egyptian government has allegedly opened channels of communication with Misratan and Libya Dawn leaders.^[177]

March 2015

On March 2, the Tobruk-based government named former anti-government General Haftar as its army chief.^[178]

On March 14, pro-Dawn forces associated with Misrata and Operation Sunrise clashed with IS militants in Sirte.^{[179][180][181]} Fighting between Libya Dawn forces and ISIL militants was also reported in the Daheera area west of the city of Sirte, and at the Harawa vicinity east of Sirte.^[182]

On March 15, IS militants conducted a bomb attack against a police checkpoint in Tripoli, wounding five, and executed a car bomb attack in Misrata near a military camp associated with the 166 battalion, killing one person. The 166 battalion has been a primary brigade in directing and managing Libya Dawn's confrontations with IS forces.^[183]

On March 18, IS commander Ahmed Rouissi was killed in the course of combat taking place near Sirte between Libya Dawn forces and IS militants. Tunisian officials suspected that he was the mastermind in the murders of two Tunisian opposition leaders in 2013.^[184]

On March 19, military forces associated with the Tripoli-based government reportedly recaptured Nofaliya from IS control.^{[185][186][187]}

On March 20 and 21, Zintani and Warshanfana forces clashed with Libya Dawn units in the Aziziya region.^[188][189] Also, on March 20, the internationally recognized Tobruk-based government stated that they had launched a military operation to "liberate" Tripoli from the GNC Islamist forces (Libya Dawn). As a result, the Tripoli-based GNC government threatened to walk out on the peace talks in the Moroccan resort of Skhirat.^[190]

On 25 March, the Tobruk-based government launched an offensive on the city of Derna, to expel ISIL and other militant groups from the city.^[191]

On March 26, the Operation Sunrise forces loyal to the Tripoli-based government and the Petroleum Facilities Guards, led by Ibrahim Jathran and aligned with the Tobruk-based government, reached a deal pertaining to the Sidra Basin area. Both sides agreed to maintain the cease-fire and to intensify focus on fighting ISIL. As a result of the agreement, Sunrise forces withdrew from Bin Jawad and some other former areas that functioned as fronts in its battle with the Petroleum Facilities Guards.^{[192][193][194]}

On 30 March, Ansar al-Sharia's general Sharia jurist Abu Abdullah Al-Libi pledged allegiance to ISIL.^[195][196]

On 31 March 2015, Libyan General Khalifa Haftar promised to retake the city of Benghazi from militant groups within a month.^[197]

Also, on March 31, the new GNC of the Tripoli-based government sacked its Prime Minister, Omar al-Hassi.^[198] The Tripoli-based government cited dissatisfaction with Omar al-Hassi's performance as the reason for his dismissal, and stated that its first deputy speaker, Khalifa al-Ghowel, will run a caretaker cabinet until a new government is formed within one month.^[199]

April 2015

On 13 April 2015, the South Korean embassy in Tripoli was attacked by two gunmen, who killed two embassy guards and injured a third person. Hours later, a bomb damaged the gate and a residential building near the Moroccan embassy, although no injuries or deaths were reported. ISIL claimed responsibility for those incidents.^[200]

In mid-April, fighting broke out in Tripoli itself on Saturday, April 18, between Libya Dawn and supporters of Haftar. A pro-Haftar insurgency has been involved in fighting in the eastern suburbs of Tajoura and Fashloum 101 Battalion. The unit's leader, Abdullah Sassi, was captured and possibly killed by Libya Dawn forces.

On April 24, aircraft associated with the Tripoli-based government struck ISIL targets in Sirte.^[201]

On April 25, as a result of clashes with the Tribes' Army, an element of the Libyan National Army in western Libya, and attendant missile strikes, the Gharyan municipality declared a state of emergency, a mobilization of forces, and a closure of colleges.^[202][203]

May 2015

On May 11, a Turkish cargo ship was shelled by the Libyan Air Force after heading to the port of Derna. It is known that Derna has been under extremist militants since 2014.^[204]

On May 29, eight people were killed and eight others were wounded following a rocket strike by Islamist militants in the city of Benghazi.On the same day Islamic State fighters captured the Qurdabiya air base south of Sirte after Tripoli aligned troops withdrew from the area.^[205]

June 2015

On June 1, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a checkpoint in the city of Dafniya, killing 5 Libya Dawn militia and injuring 7 others. ISIL issued a statement claiming the attack and declaring war to the coalition.^[206]

On June 3, Islamic State fighters beheaded a Libyan National Army volunteer at the famous Atiq Mosque in Derna. The Islamic state also posted photos of young boys being shown the severed head and bloody body of the victim immediately after the killing.^[207]

On June 10, the Al Qaeda affiliate Shura Council of Derna declared war on ISIL after members of the later allegedly assassinated SCD commander Nasr Akr, nine ISIL militants and two SCD fighters were killed in clashes that followed the incident.^[208]

On June 13, the towns of Rigdaleen, Jumayl, Zaltan and Al-Agrabiya agreed with the Libyan National Army to enter these towns peacefully and without any bloodshed. Since then the Libyan National Army has taken over these towns and are securing their facilities.^[209] This outcome was a consequence of a peace deal being brokered among cities in western Libya.

On June 12, Medfaiyah Wal-Sewarigh ("Artillery and Missiles") Brigade, which is part of the Libya Dawn militias, took 10 diplomatic staff from the Tunisian consulate in Tripoli as hostages. This comes as Tunisian authorities arrest a senior member of Libya Dawn named Walid Al-Ghleib on charges of terrorist offences including supplying Tunisian terrorists with weapons.^[210]

On June 14, the United States announced it had conducted an airstrike on a group associated with al-Qaeda. It was reported that Mokhtar Belmokhtar was the target and that he was killed in the airstrike. The internationally recognized government was consulted in advance, and it confirmed the death of Belmokhtar.^{[211][212][213]}

Throughout June, municipal authorities in western Libyan cities have reached a series of agreements to foster peace and de-escalation. These agreements have encompassed and included cities backing opposing sides of the civil war, such as Misrata, Zintan, Kikla, Gharyan, Zuwara, Zawia, Zliten, Rigadaleen, Jumayl, Zaltan, Sabratha, and others, as well as forces engaged in local animosities and tribal conflicts. The terms of the peace and reconciliation accords between cities include the cessation of warfare, prisoner exchanges, the unblocking of roads and critical routes, and the withdrawal of rival armed units back to the administrative borders of their associated cities.^{[214][215][216][217][218][219]}

July 2015

On July 1, the head of the General National Congress, Nouri Abusahmain, accompanied by Salah Badi, a Libya Dawn militia leader, held a protest outside of the GNC headquarters protesting against the dialogue process. This came as the UNSMIL significantly reduced the role of the State Council, ninety of which are from the General National Congress.^[220]

On July 12, Al-Wushka, a little town 35 kilometers east of Abu Grain, was taken over by the Libyan branch of ISIS, without any resistance from the militant forces that control western Libya. It is known that the Islamic State has been gaining a lot of ground west of their stronghold Sirte after militia fighters from Misrata were pushed away from the city. That same day in Morocco, the Libyan factions signed the draft peace deal, but without the participation of the team from the General National Congress who boycotted the meetings because of objections to parts of the text.^[221][222]

August 2015

On August 1, five people were killed in clashes between the Libyan Armed Forces and various Islamist groups. Fighting has been taking place in Ajdabiya, near the oil port of Brega, which included an attack by the Libyan Air Force.^[223]

On August 13, 38 residents from the town of Sirte were killed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, after residents revolted against them in reaction to the killing of an Islamic Salafist Imam who refused to hand over his mosque to the militant extreme group. Among the dead were two children, four elderly and the rest were fighters from the local tribe of Furjan. ISIL threatened to use gas against the civilians unless attacks against it stopped.^[224]

On August 14, multiple airstrikes were conducted on Sirte after the massacre committed by ISIL. The air assault lasted for half an hour targeting multiple areas in Sirte including the town’s internal security complex, the Ouagadougou Conference centre, part of the university campus and the Mahari hotel.^[225]

September 2015

Ansar al-Sharia released a message in which the organization denied having pledged allegiance to ISIL or its caliph. Ansar al-Sharia also denied having links with the Tripoli government, which it termed "an apostate government."^[226]

October 2015

On October 1, ISIL militants attacked the port of Es Sidr with a gun assault and an attempted car bombing against the defending Petroleum Facilities Guard. Petroleum Facilities Guard reporetedly suffered one death and two wounded while ISIL incurred the death of four militants.^[227]

On October 8, the UN envoy heading the internationally backed dialogue process, Bernardino Leon, held a press conference in Morocco in which he announced the names of several potential members of the proposed Government of National Accord. Fayez al-Sarraj, a member of the House of Representatives, was announced as the candidate for the office of prime minister.^[228] Three deputy prime ministers were announced, including Ahmed Maetig, Musa Kuni, and Fathi Majbari. Omar Aswad and Mohamed Ammar were declared as two other potential members of a six-person presidential council.^[229]

Shortly after the press conference, the Misrata Municipal Council expressed support for the proposed Government of National Accord.^[230] Furthermore, an overwhelming preponderance of Misrata's militias have declared support for the plan.^[231]

On October 23, extremist militants, possibly associated with the Islamic State, fired mortar rounds at protesters in Benghazi's Kish Square, killing nine and wounding at least 35.^[232][233]

On October 30, Martin Kobler, a German diplomat, was appointed to replace Bernardino Leon as U.N. Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya.^[234]

November 2015

Following the appointment of Martin Kobler and the announcement of the impending departure of Bernardino Leon from the U.N., Leon was appointed as director-general of the UAE's diplomatic academy.^[235] This job announcement, along with its attendant £35,000 a month salary, led to accusations, particularly by supporters of Libya Dawn and the Tripoli-based government, that Leon's tenure as U.N. envoy had been tainted by bias and partiality. These accusations were reinforced by allegedly leaked emails which purported to reveal collusion between Leon and the UAE to divide the forces backing the Tripoli government, as well as violations of the U.N. arms embargo by the UAE.^[236] Additionally, the Tripoli-based government arrested a UAE national on suspicion of espionage on November 11.^[237]

December 2015

Efforts to establish peace between the rival governments were made on 16 and 17 December, when the leaders of both governments met in Malta and delegates signed an agreement in Morocco. Despite this, fighting still continued, with clashes in Ajdabiya killing 14 people.^[238]

2016

January 2016

On January 7, a truck bomb attack targeted a police training center in the coastal city of Zliten, killing at least 47 and wounding scores of people.^[239] The incident was one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Libyan history.^[240] Difficulties in treating the huge number of wounded at facilities in Zliten resulted in many patients being transferred to hospitals in Tripoli, Misrata, and Khoms.^[241] Another car bomb attack occurred on the same day at the entrance to the oil port of Ras Lanuf, killing multiple people.^[242] The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the massacres at Zliten and Ras Lanuf.^[243]

On January 10, the ISIS attacks the port of Zueitina, by sea, with 3 boats. The Guards of Petrol Installations (GPI), an armed group linked to the Tobrouk's Gouvernment, are prepared, because they were warned of the assault a few days ago. They seriously damaged one boats, and forced the others to retreat. So, the GPI resisted to this assault.^[244]

February 2016

The U.N.-backed presidential council announced a list of names for ministers of the Government of National Accord on February 14, 2016.^[245] The presidential council presented the list of names to the House of Representatives for approval.^[246]

An US air raid on suspected ISIS camp on February 19 near the city of Sabratha resulted in killing 49 people, including two Serbian embassy members, who had been taken hostage by the militiants on 8 November 2015 from a convoy of cars heading towards the Tunisian border.^[247] An ISIL operative named Noureddine Chouchane who is behind the Sousse attacks that left 30 British citizens dead was believed to have been killed in the airstrike.

On February 20, the Libyan National Army lead by Brigadier General Khalifa Haftar launched a city wide assault to capture the city of Benghazi in an operation called "Blood of the Martyrs", with some assistance from French special forces.^[248] The Army managed to capture Marisa port which was a key life line for terrorists in the city to get supplies from the city of Misrata. The army also managed to take control of Bouatni district south of Benghazi.^[249][250]

On the 21st of the same month, in Benghazi the Libyan National Army also managed to take over the rest of Bouatni, while overrunning Hawari and Leithi districts both of which were strongholds of ISIS & Ansar al-Sharia.^[249][251]

On February 23, ISIS militants clashed with forces associated with the Sabratha military council inside of Sabratha.^[252] These clashes were followed on the same day by an ISIS offensive that allegedly temporarily seized various buildings after penetrating the city. However, local forces conducted a counterattack against the ISIS militants, reportedly driving them out of the city's centre.^[253] However, fighting continued in Zawagha district.^[254]

March 2016

On March 6, Libyan aircraft based in Misrata conducted airstrikes against Islamic States targets in Sirte.^[255] Jamal Zubia, a foreign media spokesman for the Tripoli-based government, claimed that as many as 18 people were killed in the strikes, including senior Islamic State members.^[255] A resident in Sirte stated that the air strikes had targeted districts in and around the city, resulting in at least one civilian being killed.^[255]

On March 10, following the airstrikes against targets in Sirte, ISIS militants attacked Misratan forces stationed at the Abu Grain checkpoint, killing three security personnel.^[256] Also on March 10, Zintani forces clashed with suspected ISIS militants who had briefly taken control of a major road about 320 km west of Sirte and 200 km south of the capital, Tripoli. One member of the Zintani Brigades was injured before the militants retreated.^[256]

On March 12, the Presidential Council of the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord issued a statement urging all Libyan institutions to begin a transfer of authority to the unity government.^[257] It also called upon the international community to cease all dealings with alternative governments.^[258] In the statement, the Presidential Council asserted that a document signed by a majority of the HOR's members expressing support for the new government, in addition to the endorsement by other political figures, conferred legitimacy on the Government of National Accord.

On March 15, Haithem Tajouri, the commander of the Tripoli Revolutionaries' Brigade, seized control of the Hall of the People facility.^[259] Subsequently, on March 16, Tajouri expressed support for a return of monarchy in Libya and had the Qaddafi-era Hall of the People plastered with pro-monarchy posters.^[260]

On March 16 the European Union agreed to implement sanctions, travel bans, and asset freezes, on Nouri Abusahmain, the president of the Tripoli-based new GNC, Khalifa al-Ghwell, the new GNC's prime minister, and Aguila Saleh, the president of the Tobruk-based House of Representatives.^[261] The European Union cited these three political leaders as being "spoilers" obstructing implementation of the U.N-backed plan of resolution to the Libya conflict and the associated Government of National Accord.

During an interview on March 17, Fayez al-Sarraj, the Prime Minister of the U.N/internationally supported Government of National Accord, declared that his government would move into Tripoli "within in a few days."^[262] Seraj also stated, in the same interview, that his government's security plan included agreements with police, military forces, and some armed groups in Tripoli that would enable the Government of National Accord to ensconce itself in the capital.

On March 24, the Tripoli-based new GNC declared a state of emergency in response to reports that four members of the Government of National Accord had entered Tripoli.^[263]

On March 30, various members of the Presidential Council, including Prime Minister Fayez Serraj, arrived at a naval base in a Tripoli after travelling from Tunisia on a boat.^[264]

On March 31, the Libya Herald reported that top officials from the new GNC, under heavy pressure and warnings from former supporters, had dispersed back to their home cities.^[265] GNC Prime Minister Khalifa Ghwell, Sheik Sadeq al-Ghariani, GNC President Abu Sahmain, GNC Media Department head Jamal Zubia, and milita commander Salah Badi were reported as having left Tripoli.^[265]

Also on March 31, the Presidency Council’s Temporary Security Committee reportedly took control of the prime ministry facilities on the Sikka Road.^[265] Additionally, ten coastal cities in western Libya announced support for the Government of National Accord through the Sabratha municipality's official Facebook page.^[266]

At the end of March, the mayors of Sabratha, Zultan, Rigdaleen, Al-Jmail, Zuwarah, Ajilat, Sorman, Zawia, as well as those of West and South Zawia, issued a joint statement endorsing the Government of National Accord.^[267]

April 2016

On April 2, the National Oil Corporation stated that it would work with the Presidential Council.^[268]

On April 3, the municipality of Bani Walid announced support for the Presidential Council and the Government of National Accord.^[269]

Political and military authorities in al-Hawamid declared support for the Presidential Council and the Government of National Accord on April 3.^[270]

On April 4, Tunisia declared plans to reopen its embassy in Tripoli.^[271][272]

On April 5, the National Salvation Government associated with the General National Congress announced that it was resigning, "ceasing operations," and ceding power to the Presidential Council.^[273][274] Following the dissolution of the GNC, former members of that body declared the establishment of the State Council, as envisaged by the LPA.^[275]

On April 6, the State Council selected Abdurrahman Swehli as its president and Saleh al-Makhzoum as its First Deputy.^[276][277] On the same day, Saleh al-Makhzoum stated that the Presidential Council, utilizing its powers as Commander-in-chief, would soon announce the leadership of the Libyan army, in cooperation with House of Representatives and the State Council. Furthermore, he suggested that a resolution for the controversy pertaining to article 8 of the LPA would be achieved.^[277]

On the 17th of April, the Libyan National Army managed to crush extreme militants in and around the University of Benghazi, where militants had taken it a ground for them to launch rockets at the city and train their followers.^[278]

On April 18, the Libyan Army managed to capture the Al-Hawari cement factory and the adjoining two cemeteries. They later overrun the entire district of Al-Hawari south west of the city, this however came at a cost of five soldiers' lives and a senior commander named later as Abdul Hamid Boker.^[279]

Also on April 18, a meeting of the House of Representatives was set to convene to vote on the issue of acceptance or rejection of the Government of National Accord, but the planned session was derailed by Aquila Saleh, the Speaker of the House Representatives, and a minority bloc within the parliament which opposes the GNA.^[280][281] Several previous and subsequent attempts to hold a vote on the GNA have been unsuccessful.^[282][283]

On April 19, the Libyan National Army together with Al-Saiqa special forces were able to seize control of the entire area of Al-Quwarsha.^[284]

On April 20, the Libyan National Army's Omar Mukhtar Operation Room which covers Derna and the areas surrounding the region, were able to take control of the south eastern suburb of Fataieh and an area called District 400 following a new ground and air offensive.^[285]

The Presidential Council, on April 20, congratulated the LNA and the Derna Mujaheddin Shura Council for their successes against ISIS in Benghazi and Derna.^[286][287]

On April 23, the Petroleum Facilities Guard clashed with ISIS militants near the Brega oil terminal, resulting in the death of one PFG member and several wounded.^[288] Ibrahim Jathran, the leader of the Petroleum Facilities Guard, was injured in the fighting.^[289]

On April 28, Prime Minister Faiez Serraj issued a prerecorded television address during which he stated that he had tasked his government's Defense Minister, Mahdi Barghathi, with assembling a joint command and a joint operations room for the recapture of Sirte from ISIS.^[290] Serraj declared that the forces for the operation would be drawn up of military units from across the country.^[291]

May 2016

On May 3rd, the town of Zella saw clashes between militants of the Ziyad Belaam's Omar Mukhtar Brigade on one side, reportedly backed by air strikes, and the Libyan National Army on the other. A Misratan official alleged that the LNA forces battling Belaam's brigade were fighters from the Justice and Equality Movement, a Sudanese rebel group, however no specific evidence was found of such accusations. Belaam's forces retreated about 30 kilometres away from the town.^[292]

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