Al-Qawalish
Encyclopedia
Al-Qawalish is a village in the Nafusa Mountains of Libya
, located about 113 km southwest of Tripoli
.
of the 2011 Libyan civil war
. Nine rebels were killed in the six-hour battle, with no information on casualties from the pro-Gaddafi forces.
An earlier attempt was made to capture the village at the end of the prior month of June. Between 30 June and 3 July, the rebels attempted to advance from Kikla
toward the town of al-Qawalish (which holds a western and an eastern part, separated by a canyon). If they took the town the road would be open to Gharyan
. However, the rebels were unable to move forward and nine opposition fighters were killed and dozens wounded. During the battle, loyalist snipers took positions on a water tower between al-Qawalish and rebel positions, just few hundred meters away, at Kikla.
On 6 July, rebels launched an attack on al-Qawalish with hundreds of fighters. They did so after NATO aircrafts intensified bombing of the area and finally gave rebels the green light to advance. After several hours rebel fighters advanced a couple of kilometers towards al-Qawalish. Al-Qawalish was finally captured after six hours of fighting. One rebel fighter was reportedly killed and five wounded during the opposition offensive. It was unclear how many government soldiers were killed. This was confirmed by photos and videos.
On 13 July, loyalist forces attacked Qawalish again, and this time the rebels retreated. Some of them claimed the reason being for the pull-back that they ran out of ammunition. Government troops started the attack after a group of rebels attempted to advance east of the town toward Gharyan. The loyalists quickly swept through Qawalish from the east and reached as far as the checkpoint on the western edge of the village. Still, by the evening, the rebels counter-attacked and after a five-hour battle they retook the town and chased loyalist forces to the outskirts of Asabah. During the fighting, two rebels were killed and 17 wounded.
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, located about 113 km southwest of Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
.
Libyan civil war battle
It was captured by Libyan rebels on 7 July 2011 during the Nafusa Mountains campaign2011 Nafusa Mountains Campaign
The 2011 Nafusa Mountain Campaign was a series of battles in the 2011 Libyan civil war, fought between loyalist pro-Gaddafi forces and rebel anti-Gaddafi forces in the Nafusa Mountains and, at a later period, in the surrounding plains of western Libya. The mountain range is of strategic importance...
of the 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
. Nine rebels were killed in the six-hour battle, with no information on casualties from the pro-Gaddafi forces.
An earlier attempt was made to capture the village at the end of the prior month of June. Between 30 June and 3 July, the rebels attempted to advance from Kikla
Kikla
Kikla is a town of approximately 10,000 inhabitants in Libya, most of whom come from Arab Descend, With some who are from Arabized Berber descend, and is approximately 150 kilometres south-west of the country's capital - Tripoli. It is also a battleground for the 2011 Nafusa Mountains Campaign as...
toward the town of al-Qawalish (which holds a western and an eastern part, separated by a canyon). If they took the town the road would be open to Gharyan
Gharyan
Gharyan District or Garian District was one of the districts of Libya. It was located in the northwest part of the country and its capital was Gharyan. Under the 2007 reorganization of districts, it became part of Jabal al Gharbi District....
. However, the rebels were unable to move forward and nine opposition fighters were killed and dozens wounded. During the battle, loyalist snipers took positions on a water tower between al-Qawalish and rebel positions, just few hundred meters away, at Kikla.
On 6 July, rebels launched an attack on al-Qawalish with hundreds of fighters. They did so after NATO aircrafts intensified bombing of the area and finally gave rebels the green light to advance. After several hours rebel fighters advanced a couple of kilometers towards al-Qawalish. Al-Qawalish was finally captured after six hours of fighting. One rebel fighter was reportedly killed and five wounded during the opposition offensive. It was unclear how many government soldiers were killed. This was confirmed by photos and videos.
On 13 July, loyalist forces attacked Qawalish again, and this time the rebels retreated. Some of them claimed the reason being for the pull-back that they ran out of ammunition. Government troops started the attack after a group of rebels attempted to advance east of the town toward Gharyan. The loyalists quickly swept through Qawalish from the east and reached as far as the checkpoint on the western edge of the village. Still, by the evening, the rebels counter-attacked and after a five-hour battle they retook the town and chased loyalist forces to the outskirts of Asabah. During the fighting, two rebels were killed and 17 wounded.