Battle of Ra's Lanuf
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Ra's Lanuf was a two-phase battle between forces loyal to Libya
n leader Muammar Gaddafi
and those loyal to the National Transitional Council
for control of the town of Ra's Lanuf
. It followed the First Battle of Brega
which occurred two days before in the town Brega
, roughly 130 kilometres (80.8 mi) to the east of Ra's Lanuf. After conquering the town on 4 March, the rebels pushed further west to attack Sirte
but they were driven back by government forces and on 11 March, government troops reconquered most of Ra's Lanuf.
Sometime during the night, rebel forces managed to capture the entire town of Ra's Lanuf, including the airport and military base. Following the capture of the base, the rebels claimed to have found the bodies of 20 soldiers who were executed after they refused to open fire on rebel forces.
In addition to the 20 mutinous soldiers who were reportedly executed, according to the rebels, various numbers of dead had been reported. 16 dead were reported on the rebel side with 31 wounded, and two to 25 loyalists ground troops were reportedly killed in addition to two loyalist pilots.
One Libyan Air Force
jet bomber was reported to had been shot down outside Ra's Lanuf on 5 March, by anti-Gaddafi rebels.
and suffered heavy losses. After that, they made a hasty retreat toward Ra's Lanuf where they were bombarded for four days.
During the next three days of constant air, tank and naval bombardment of the frontlines at Ra's Lanuf, 20 rebels were killed and at least 65 wounded.
On 10 March, the BBC
reported that troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi
had cleared rebels from Ra's Lanuf. A rebel fighter told AFP news agency, "We've been defeated. They are shelling and we are running away. That means that they're taking Ra's Lanuf."
Gaddafi attacked the city with tanks and artillery from the west and the south, ships fired upon the city from the north, while airplanes bombed the town. Rebel reinforcements from the east tried to enter the city, but were immediately attacked and a rebel commander reported dozens of his fighters were killed and many others missing. Later that evening, most rebel forces had retreated from the town and were trying to set up a line of defense east of the city, while some hard-core opposition fighters were continuing to put up resistance in Ra's Lanuf. Four opposition fighters were confirmed killed during the fighting, 36 were wounded and 65 were missing.
By the evening of 10 March, all major news media were reporting that the town had fallen with large numbers of rebel fighters killed or captured, despite a denial from the rebel-led council in Benghazi. The government claimed that an estimated 1,500 rebel fighters had been captured. After the battle anti-Gaddafi fighters advised civilians to leave the area around Brega in expectation of continuing advances by government forces.
On the morning of 11 March, the first loyalist ground troops entered the town with 150 soldiers, backed up by three tanks, and managed to get to the city center. At the same time, four transport boats came in from the sea and unloaded 40-50 soldiers each on the beach near the Fadeel hotel. They were engaged by hard-core rebel remnants, who had not retreated from Ra's Lanuf the previous day. Government troops captured the residential area, but the rebels continued to hold out in the oil port facilities for a few hours before they too retreated from Ra's Lanuf east of the city. The town had fallen. However, in the afternoon, the rebels regrouped, mounted a counteroffensive and managed to expel the loyalist forces from the eastern part of the town. Government soldiers still held the western part of the city and a stalemate soon developed.
On 12 March, rebels fighting in Ra's Lanuf retreated in the afternoon to the town of Uqayla west of Brega and rebel leaders confirmed that pro-Gaddafi forces had driven them 20 km out of the town and captured the oil refinery. Later during the day, the government took foreign journalists to the city for confirmation of the town's fall.
started. The air strikes by Coalition aircraft pushed back government troops which allowed the rebels to retake a string of towns. On 27 March, pro-Gaddafi forces in Ra's Lanuf were observed retreating towards Sirte
. This allowed the anti-Gaddafi forces to retake control of the city. However, this would not last and once again, just three days later, government troops routed the rebels during a counter-attack from Ra's Lanuf on 30 March, taking back the town.
Anti-Gaddafi forces recaptured the city in August, but then on 12 September at least 15 oil refinery guards were killed and two wounded by pro-Gaddafi fighters.
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....
n leader Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
and those loyal to the National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
for control of the town of Ra's Lanuf
Ra's Lanuf
Ra's Lanuf is a Mediterranean town in northern Libya, on the Gulf of Sidra. The town is also home to the Ra's Lanuf Refinery, completed in 1984, with a crude oil refining capacity of . The oil refinery is operated by the Ra's Lanuf Oil & Gas Processing Company, a subsidiary of the state-owned...
. It followed the First Battle of Brega
First Battle of Brega
The First Battle of Brega was a battle during the 2011 Libyan civil war. It began when pro-Gaddafi government troops attacked the city, held by the National Transitional Council, in the early hours of 2 March 2011.- The Battle :...
which occurred two days before in the town Brega
Brega
Brega may refer to:*Brega , an inhabited location in Libya**Marsa Brega Airport, the airport for Brega-People:...
, roughly 130 kilometres (80.8 mi) to the east of Ra's Lanuf. After conquering the town on 4 March, the rebels pushed further west to attack Sirte
Sirte
Sirte is a city in LibyaSirte may also refer to:* Sirte Declaration, a 1999 resolution to create the African Union* Sirte Oil Company, a Libyan oil companyIn geography:* Gulf of Sirte, alias for Gulf of Sidra on Libya's coast...
but they were driven back by government forces and on 11 March, government troops reconquered most of Ra's Lanuf.
First phase
According to the rebels, the loyalist forces used heavy weapons and helicopters to attack them one kilometre from the airport. One rebel reported seeing four men in front of him killed by an explosion. Rebels reported that there were defections from the local pro-Gaddafi military base in Ra's Lanuf.Sometime during the night, rebel forces managed to capture the entire town of Ra's Lanuf, including the airport and military base. Following the capture of the base, the rebels claimed to have found the bodies of 20 soldiers who were executed after they refused to open fire on rebel forces.
In addition to the 20 mutinous soldiers who were reportedly executed, according to the rebels, various numbers of dead had been reported. 16 dead were reported on the rebel side with 31 wounded, and two to 25 loyalists ground troops were reportedly killed in addition to two loyalist pilots.
One Libyan Air Force
Libyan Air Force
The Libyan Air Force is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the 2011 Libyan civil war, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000, with an inventory of 374 combat capable aircraft operating from 13 military airbases in...
jet bomber was reported to had been shot down outside Ra's Lanuf on 5 March, by anti-Gaddafi rebels.
Second phase
On 6 March, as the rebels were advancing from Ra's Lanuf toward Sirte, they were ambushed by Gaddafi's troops at Bin JawadBattle of Bin Jawad
The Battle of Bin Jawad was a battle in the 2011 Libyan civil war between forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and the Libyan opposition for control of the town of Bin Jawad.- The Battle :...
and suffered heavy losses. After that, they made a hasty retreat toward Ra's Lanuf where they were bombarded for four days.
During the next three days of constant air, tank and naval bombardment of the frontlines at Ra's Lanuf, 20 rebels were killed and at least 65 wounded.
On 10 March, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reported that troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
had cleared rebels from Ra's Lanuf. A rebel fighter told AFP news agency, "We've been defeated. They are shelling and we are running away. That means that they're taking Ra's Lanuf."
Gaddafi attacked the city with tanks and artillery from the west and the south, ships fired upon the city from the north, while airplanes bombed the town. Rebel reinforcements from the east tried to enter the city, but were immediately attacked and a rebel commander reported dozens of his fighters were killed and many others missing. Later that evening, most rebel forces had retreated from the town and were trying to set up a line of defense east of the city, while some hard-core opposition fighters were continuing to put up resistance in Ra's Lanuf. Four opposition fighters were confirmed killed during the fighting, 36 were wounded and 65 were missing.
By the evening of 10 March, all major news media were reporting that the town had fallen with large numbers of rebel fighters killed or captured, despite a denial from the rebel-led council in Benghazi. The government claimed that an estimated 1,500 rebel fighters had been captured. After the battle anti-Gaddafi fighters advised civilians to leave the area around Brega in expectation of continuing advances by government forces.
On the morning of 11 March, the first loyalist ground troops entered the town with 150 soldiers, backed up by three tanks, and managed to get to the city center. At the same time, four transport boats came in from the sea and unloaded 40-50 soldiers each on the beach near the Fadeel hotel. They were engaged by hard-core rebel remnants, who had not retreated from Ra's Lanuf the previous day. Government troops captured the residential area, but the rebels continued to hold out in the oil port facilities for a few hours before they too retreated from Ra's Lanuf east of the city. The town had fallen. However, in the afternoon, the rebels regrouped, mounted a counteroffensive and managed to expel the loyalist forces from the eastern part of the town. Government soldiers still held the western part of the city and a stalemate soon developed.
On 12 March, rebels fighting in Ra's Lanuf retreated in the afternoon to the town of Uqayla west of Brega and rebel leaders confirmed that pro-Gaddafi forces had driven them 20 km out of the town and captured the oil refinery. Later during the day, the government took foreign journalists to the city for confirmation of the town's fall.
Aftermath
After the battle the town was firmly in loyalist hands and government troops advanced further east taking the towns of Brega and Ajdabiya and arriving to Benghazi. However, on 19 March, a military intervention by the UN2011 military intervention in Libya
On 19 March 2011, a multi-state coalition began a military intervention in Libya to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which was taken in response to events during the 2011 Libyan civil war...
started. The air strikes by Coalition aircraft pushed back government troops which allowed the rebels to retake a string of towns. On 27 March, pro-Gaddafi forces in Ra's Lanuf were observed retreating towards Sirte
Sirte
Sirte is a city in LibyaSirte may also refer to:* Sirte Declaration, a 1999 resolution to create the African Union* Sirte Oil Company, a Libyan oil companyIn geography:* Gulf of Sirte, alias for Gulf of Sidra on Libya's coast...
. This allowed the anti-Gaddafi forces to retake control of the city. However, this would not last and once again, just three days later, government troops routed the rebels during a counter-attack from Ra's Lanuf on 30 March, taking back the town.
Anti-Gaddafi forces recaptured the city in August, but then on 12 September at least 15 oil refinery guards were killed and two wounded by pro-Gaddafi fighters.