Second Gulf of Sidra offensive
Encyclopedia
The Second Gulf of Sidra offensive was a military operation in the 2011 Libyan civil war
conducted by rebel anti-Gaddafi forces
in August and September 2011 to take control of towns along the Gulf of Sidra
in an effort to surround Muammar Gaddafi
's hometown of Sirte
, which was held by pro-Gaddafi forces. It ended on 20 October, when Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim Gaddafi were killed along with former defense minister, Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr
. The Gaddafi loyalists in the area were finally defeated when NTC fighters captured Sirte.
hostile to the Gaddafi government in Tripoli, rebels in Brega made advances, taking over the entirety of the oil port town of Brega including its residential, industrial and port areas. They then planned to advance westwards.
A spokesman for the National Liberation Army said on 22 August that Gaddafi's forces had finally retreated westward to Sirte
and all of Brega was under the opposition's control. But, this was later denied by Ahmed Omar Bani, the rebels' military spokesman, who said the eastern "front is still at Brega". Loyalists near Sirte fired a scud missile at Misrata.
23 August
However, a day later, it was confirmed that rebel forces managed to capture the village of El Agheila
and were on their way to Ra's Lanuf
. Ra's Lanuf fell to the opposition soon after and they were on the outskirts of the small town of Bin Jawad
, 150 km east of Gaddafi's home town of Sirte.
It was also reported by Reuters that rebels were negotiating with Sirte leaders to enter the city without bloodshed.
Rebels managed to advance to the outskirts of the small coastal town of Bin Jawad, but were unable to progress further due to heavy loyalist resistance in the area.
More scud missile were fired at Misrata, all reportedly either falling into the sea or causing no damage upon landing
24 August
On 24 August, a heavy loyalist artillery bombardment caused the rebels to retreat 20 km from Bin Jawad to Sidra. During the fighting, loyalists ambushed the advancing rebels once again at Bin Jawad, in an echo of an earlier defeat
in March. Twenty rebel fighters died in the clashes.
25 August
RAF
Tornado aircraft attacked a military bunker in Sirte with precision guided missiles, in an attempt to destroy the government's remaining command and control capabilities, ahead of the rebels planned offensive on the city. NATO aircraft also destroyed 29 armoured vehicles which were moving to Misrata. The rebels, for their part, retreated further to Ra's Lanuf to put themselves out of range of rockets fired by pro-Gaddafi forces.
27 August
Rebels claimed sending a brigade to negotiate the surrender of Sirte. Al Jazeera English reported that there were negotiations between rebels and loyalists in Ra's Lanuf. Later that day, rebel forces were able to recapture Bin Jawad and move closer to Sirte.
28 August
NLA forces advanced on two fronts towards the town of Nofaliya, which was captured later that day.
30 August
The National Transitional Council gave the loyalists in Sirte a four-day-ultimatum to surrender or to face military assault.
1 September
The ultimatum was extended for another week by the NTC. A spokesman stated that Sirte had no economic importance and that the rebels would not risk casualties for it. Meanwhile negotiations between tribal leaders from Nofaliya and the Bin Jawad area (on NTC behalf) and from Sirte were still ongoing. The NLA forces claimed that Harawa
, a village 50 km east of Sirte, had surrendered. NATO bombardment of the area continued unabated, independent of the NTC ultimatums.
4 September
A NLA commander claimed that the village of Umm El Ghindel agreed to lay down their weapons. Reuters reported that the NLA raised their flag on the entry of the village.
6 September
NLA forces advanced 8 km towards Sirte, meeting heavy resistance from loyalist forces. One NLA fighter died in the fighting and at least one loyalist was killed and another wounded. Both sides engaged in artillery duels during the day and three loyalist vehicles were bombed by NATO and two others captured by the NLA. According to frontline commanders, the clashes occurred when a recon patrol was attacked by loyalists and that the attack on Sirte had yet to begin. Also, to the west of Sirte, NTC forces overran a tribal encampment without resistance, taking over 100 assault rifles and some machineguns.
8 September
An NLA commander claimed that the Red Valley, east of Sirte, was captured by NLA forces. Eight rebels and three loyalists were killed during the fighting in the valley and one pro-Gaddafi fighter was captured.
9 September
Opposition forces engaged loyalist troops near Sirte, in the Red Valley, during the night but withdrew after suffering heavy casualties.
10–14 September
During a period of heavy fighting, in which opposition forces attempted to advance toward Sirte but made only gains of a few kilometers, at least 80 rebel fighters were killed. According to the Misrata Military Council, the living conditions inside Sirte were worsening. The city suffered from a lack of water and food.
15-18 September
On 15 September, NLA forces based out of Misrata moved into Sirte from the west. Opposition troops initially made some gains by capturing the airport south of the city and penetrating the city limits. But by 18 September, the rebels had retreated to the city's outskirts after encountering stiff resistance from well-armed loyalists and suffering heavy casualties.
At the same time, eastern NLA forces captured the village of Harawa
in an attempt to support forces from the west which were already engaged in a battle for Sirte itself.
20 September
On 20 September, Al Jazeera reported that eastern NLA forces finally reached the eastern gates of Sirte and thus put Sirte under effective siege from all sides. However, later reports put opposition forces at the town of Khamseen, still another 50 kilometers east of Sirte, facing stiff resistance from loyalist troops.
24 September
On 24 September, NTC forces made another attempt at storming Sirte and captured a few neighbourhoods in the western part of the city. But by the next morning, they again retreated from the western part of Sirte, after meeting strong resistance from loyalist forces. To the east, NLA troops advanced to within 20 kilometers of Sirte.
26 September
Opposition forces continued their offensive against Sirte with NTC tanks shelling the city center from a distance of 2 kilometers from the western outskirts. Meanwhile, the main opposition eastern assault body fought their way to 10 kilometers of the town.
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...
conducted by rebel anti-Gaddafi forces
Anti-Gaddafi forces
The anti-Gaddafi forces were Libyan groups that opposed and militarily defeated the government of Muammar Gaddafi, killing him in the process. These opposition forces included organised and armed militia groups, participants in the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libyan diplomats who switched their...
in August and September 2011 to take control of towns along the Gulf of Sidra
Gulf of Sidra
Gulf of Sidra is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya; it is also known as Gulf of Sirte or the Great Sirte or Greater Syrtis .- Geography :The Gulf of Sidra has been a major centre for tuna fishing in the Mediterranean for centuries...
in an effort to surround 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...
's hometown of 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...
, which was held by pro-Gaddafi forces. It ended on 20 October, when Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim Gaddafi were killed along with former defense minister, Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr
Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr
Major General Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr was the Libyan Minister of Defence under the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. His official position was Secretary of the Libyan General Interim Committee for Defence.There is disagreement about the year of Jabr's birth. According to the UN he was born in 1952...
. The Gaddafi loyalists in the area were finally defeated when NTC fighters captured Sirte.
Background
Following the success of rebelsBattle of Tripoli (2011)
The Battle of Tripoli was a military confrontation in Tripoli, Libya, between loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi, the longtime leader of Libya, and the National Transitional Council, which was attempting to overthrow Gaddafi and take control of the capital...
hostile to the Gaddafi government in Tripoli, rebels in Brega made advances, taking over the entirety of the oil port town of Brega including its residential, industrial and port areas. They then planned to advance westwards.
Rebel offensive
22 AugustA spokesman for the National Liberation Army said on 22 August that Gaddafi's forces had finally retreated westward to 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...
and all of Brega was under the opposition's control. But, this was later denied by Ahmed Omar Bani, the rebels' military spokesman, who said the eastern "front is still at Brega". Loyalists near Sirte fired a scud missile at Misrata.
23 August
However, a day later, it was confirmed that rebel forces managed to capture the village of El Agheila
El Agheila
El Agheila is a coastal city at the bottom of the Gulf of Sidra in far western Cyrenaica, Libya. In 1988 it was placed in Ajdabiya District; between 1995 and 2001 the district name is not known; however, it was again placed into Ajdabiya District in 2001...
and were on their way to 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...
. Ra's Lanuf fell to the opposition soon after and they were on the outskirts of the small town of Bin Jawad
Bin Jawad
Bin Jawad , also known as Bin Jawwād, Bin Quwad is a town with estimated 8,488 inhabitants in the Sirte District in Libya. It is approximately half way between Benghazi and Misrata...
, 150 km east of Gaddafi's home town of Sirte.
It was also reported by Reuters that rebels were negotiating with Sirte leaders to enter the city without bloodshed.
Rebels managed to advance to the outskirts of the small coastal town of Bin Jawad, but were unable to progress further due to heavy loyalist resistance in the area.
More scud missile were fired at Misrata, all reportedly either falling into the sea or causing no damage upon landing
24 August
On 24 August, a heavy loyalist artillery bombardment caused the rebels to retreat 20 km from Bin Jawad to Sidra. During the fighting, loyalists ambushed the advancing rebels once again at Bin Jawad, in an echo of an earlier defeat
Battle 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 :...
in March. Twenty rebel fighters died in the clashes.
25 August
RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Tornado aircraft attacked a military bunker in Sirte with precision guided missiles, in an attempt to destroy the government's remaining command and control capabilities, ahead of the rebels planned offensive on the city. NATO aircraft also destroyed 29 armoured vehicles which were moving to Misrata. The rebels, for their part, retreated further to Ra's Lanuf to put themselves out of range of rockets fired by pro-Gaddafi forces.
27 August
Rebels claimed sending a brigade to negotiate the surrender of Sirte. Al Jazeera English reported that there were negotiations between rebels and loyalists in Ra's Lanuf. Later that day, rebel forces were able to recapture Bin Jawad and move closer to Sirte.
28 August
NLA forces advanced on two fronts towards the town of Nofaliya, which was captured later that day.
30 August
The National Transitional Council gave the loyalists in Sirte a four-day-ultimatum to surrender or to face military assault.
1 September
The ultimatum was extended for another week by the NTC. A spokesman stated that Sirte had no economic importance and that the rebels would not risk casualties for it. Meanwhile negotiations between tribal leaders from Nofaliya and the Bin Jawad area (on NTC behalf) and from Sirte were still ongoing. The NLA forces claimed that Harawa
Harawa
Harawa , is a village in the desert in the Sirte District in Libya. As of 2010, it had 2,600 inhabitants. It is 50 kilometres east of the city of Sirte. As part of the 2011 Libyan civil war, rebel forces claimed on 1 September that the village had surrendered and by 3 September rebel forces had...
, a village 50 km east of Sirte, had surrendered. NATO bombardment of the area continued unabated, independent of the NTC ultimatums.
4 September
A NLA commander claimed that the village of Umm El Ghindel agreed to lay down their weapons. Reuters reported that the NLA raised their flag on the entry of the village.
6 September
NLA forces advanced 8 km towards Sirte, meeting heavy resistance from loyalist forces. One NLA fighter died in the fighting and at least one loyalist was killed and another wounded. Both sides engaged in artillery duels during the day and three loyalist vehicles were bombed by NATO and two others captured by the NLA. According to frontline commanders, the clashes occurred when a recon patrol was attacked by loyalists and that the attack on Sirte had yet to begin. Also, to the west of Sirte, NTC forces overran a tribal encampment without resistance, taking over 100 assault rifles and some machineguns.
8 September
An NLA commander claimed that the Red Valley, east of Sirte, was captured by NLA forces. Eight rebels and three loyalists were killed during the fighting in the valley and one pro-Gaddafi fighter was captured.
9 September
Opposition forces engaged loyalist troops near Sirte, in the Red Valley, during the night but withdrew after suffering heavy casualties.
10–14 September
During a period of heavy fighting, in which opposition forces attempted to advance toward Sirte but made only gains of a few kilometers, at least 80 rebel fighters were killed. According to the Misrata Military Council, the living conditions inside Sirte were worsening. The city suffered from a lack of water and food.
15-18 September
On 15 September, NLA forces based out of Misrata moved into Sirte from the west. Opposition troops initially made some gains by capturing the airport south of the city and penetrating the city limits. But by 18 September, the rebels had retreated to the city's outskirts after encountering stiff resistance from well-armed loyalists and suffering heavy casualties.
At the same time, eastern NLA forces captured the village of Harawa
Harawa
Harawa , is a village in the desert in the Sirte District in Libya. As of 2010, it had 2,600 inhabitants. It is 50 kilometres east of the city of Sirte. As part of the 2011 Libyan civil war, rebel forces claimed on 1 September that the village had surrendered and by 3 September rebel forces had...
in an attempt to support forces from the west which were already engaged in a battle for Sirte itself.
20 September
On 20 September, Al Jazeera reported that eastern NLA forces finally reached the eastern gates of Sirte and thus put Sirte under effective siege from all sides. However, later reports put opposition forces at the town of Khamseen, still another 50 kilometers east of Sirte, facing stiff resistance from loyalist troops.
24 September
On 24 September, NTC forces made another attempt at storming Sirte and captured a few neighbourhoods in the western part of the city. But by the next morning, they again retreated from the western part of Sirte, after meeting strong resistance from loyalist forces. To the east, NLA troops advanced to within 20 kilometers of Sirte.
26 September
Opposition forces continued their offensive against Sirte with NTC tanks shelling the city center from a distance of 2 kilometers from the western outskirts. Meanwhile, the main opposition eastern assault body fought their way to 10 kilometers of the town.
NATO strikes
| 20 August-20 September NATO Strikes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Vehicle Vehicle A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft.... s |
Tank Tank A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities... s |
Missile Missile Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"... s and Missile Launchers Rocket launcher A rocket launcher is any device that launches a rocket-propelled projectile, although the term is often used in reference to mechanisms that are portable and capable of being operated by an individual.... |
Buildings | Radar Radar Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio... and Antenna Antenna Antenna may refer to:-Science and engineering:* Antenna , also known as an aerial, a transducer designed to transmit or receive electromagnetic Antenna (pl. antennas in radio/TV, antennae in biology) may refer to:-Science and engineering:* Antenna (radio), also known as an aerial, a transducer... s |
| 20 August | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 Command and Control Node | 0 |
| 24 August | 0 | 0 | 1 Surface to Surface Missile Support Vehicle | 0 | 0 |
| 25 August | 29 Armed Vehicles | 0 | 0 | 1 Command and Control Node | 0 |
| 26 August | 11 Armed Vehicles, 3 Logistic Military Vehicles, 1 Armoured Fighting Vehicle Armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked.... |
0 | 0 | 1 Military Observation Point, 2 Military Shelters, 1 Military Engineer Asset | 0 |
| 27 August | 1 Armoured Fighting Vehicle | 0 | 1 Surface to Surface Supply Vehicle | 0 | 0 |
| 28 August | 3 Military Support Vehicles | 0 | 20 Surface to Air Missile Surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles... Canisters, 2 Surface to Air Missile Systems |
0 | 4 Radar Systems, 1 Antenna |
| 29 August | 22 Armed Vehicles, 2 Military Support Vehicles | 0 | 2 Surface to Air Missile Systems | 3 Command and Control Nodes, 1 Command Post, 1 Military Facility | 4 Radar Systems |
| 30 August | 12 Armed Vehicles | 3 | 0 | 1 Command and Control Facility, 1 Military Facility, 1 Command Post | 1 Radar System |
| 31 August | 1 Armed Vehicle | 1 | 5 Surface to Air Missile Transloaders, 4 Surface to Air Missile Launchers, 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher Multiple rocket launcher A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns... |
1 Command and Control Node | 0 |
| 1 September | 2 Armed Vehicles, 2 Military Trucks | 1 | 7 Surface-to-Air Missile Launchers, 3 Surface-to-Air Missile Launchers | 1 Command and Control Node/Ammo Storage Facility | 0 |
| 2 September | 0 | 3 | 11 Surface to Air Missile Canisters | 1 Ammo Storage Facility, 1 Training Area | 0 |
| 3 September | 1 Self-propelled Artillery Piece Self-propelled artillery Self-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery... |
0 | 7 Surface-to-Air Missile Canisters, 1 Surface-to-Air Missile System | 1 Military Barracks, 1 Ammunition Storage Facility, 1 Military Police Camp, 1 Command and Control Node | 0 |
| 4 September | 2 Armed Vehicles | 0 | 4 Multiple Rocket Launchers, 4 Surface to Air Missile Canisters | 1 Military Vehicle Storage Facility, 2 Heavy Machine Guns | 0 |
| 5 September | 4 Armed Vehicles | 0 | 4 Surface to Air Missile Systems | 1 Military Radar/Communication Site, 1 Command and Control Bunker, 2 Military Settlements | 0 |
| 6 September | 4 Armed Vehicles, 6 Armoured Fighting Vehicles, 1 Self-propelled Artillery | 6 | 1 Surface to Air Missile Canister, 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher | 1 Ammo Storage Facility | 0 |
| 7 September | 5 Armoured Fighting Vehicles, 2 Armed Vehicles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 September | 2 Armed Vehicles | 0 | 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher | 0 | 0 |
| 9 September | 1 Armed Vehicle | 0 | 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher | 1 Surface to Surface Missile Facility | 0 |
| 10 September | 2 Armed Vehicles | 2 | 1 Surface to Air Missile Canister | 0 | 0 |
| 11 September | 7 Armed Vehicles | 0 | 3 Surface to Air Missile Systems | 1 Military Logistic Facility, 1 Command and Control Node | 1 Radar System |
| 12 September | 1 Armed Vehicle, 2 Air Defense Command Vehicles | 0 | 8 Surface to Air Missile Systems, 5 Surface to Air Missile Trailers/Transloaders | 0 | 1 Radar System |
| 13 September | 1 Armed Vehicle, 2 Anti-Aircraft Guns | 0 | 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher | 1 Command and Control Node | 4 Radar Systems |
| 14 September | 0 | 0 | 2 Surface to Air Missile Systems | 1 Command and Control Node, 1 Military Vehicle Storage Facility | 4 Radar Systems |
| 15 September | 2 Armed Vehicles | 1 | 4 Multiple Rocket Launchers, 8 Air Missile Systems | 1 Military Storage Facility | 0 |
| 16 September | 4 Armed Vehicles | 0 | 8 Air Missile Systems | 5 Command and Control Nodes | 3 Radar Systems |
| 17 September | 1 Armed Vehicle | 0 | 4 Multiple Rocket Launchers, 4 Surface to Air Missile Systems | 2 Command and Control Nodes | 0 |
| 18 September | 0 | 0 | 4 Surface to Air Missile Systems, 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher | 1 Military Facility, 1 Command and Control Node | 0 |
| 19 September | 1 Armed Vehicle | 0 | 1 Multiple Rocket System | 0 | 0 |
| 20 September | 0 | 1 | 6 Air Missile Systems | 1 Military Vehicle Storage Facility, 2 Military Ammunition/Storage Facilities, 1 Command and Control Node | 0 |
| Total | 140 | 18 | 140 | 50 | 23 |