Zawiya raid
Encyclopedia
The Zawiya raid was a raid launched by National Liberation Army during the 2011 Libyan civil war
against army units and militiamen loyal to Muammar Gaddafi
in the city of Zawiya.
Between February and March 2011 there was a major battle for control of this city
in which the rebels were defeated by the Gaddafi forces.
said that the opposition fighters were in control of a large area on the western side of the city. However, there was no independent confirmation of the claim. Later the same day, Reuters confirmed that the coastal road was shut down and deserted, except for a large number of soldiers, police and armed men in civilian clothes. Residents also confirmed that fighting begun during the morning between loyalist forces and rebels and described fighting as "heavy".
According to rebel spokesman within the city, 30 rebels were killed and 20 wounded in two days of fighting. The rebels managed to take control of the western side of the city, but the loyalists remained in control of the city center and the eastern side. Also, there were reports that loyalist forces were receiving reinforcements. Guma el-Gamaty, United Kingdom
based coordinator for the National Transitional Council claimed that rebel fighters in Zawiya are composed of fighters which trained in the Nafusa Mountains. Moussa Ibrahim
, a Libyan government spokesman, insisted that only 20 to 25 rebels guerrilla fighters infiltrated the city and were being surrounded, and that they posed no threat to the regime.
By the evening of 12 June, a government spokesman announced that the rebels were defeated at Zawiya after hours of fighting. A group of foreign reporters were taken from Tripoli to Zawiya for confirmation of the loyalist victory. The reporters saw secure streets and confirmed that the pro-Gaddafi green flag was flying at the main square, where hours earlier rebels had claimed to have surrounded the loyalists and be attacking them from three sides. The government stated that the opposition forces had been pushed out of the city and surrounded on the edge of Zawiya. This was partially confirmed with a reporter hearing several gun shots west of the city center, from where the rebels assaulted, and a rebel in the town stating that fighting was still taking place.
The rebels claimed that during the battle, a loyalist commander, the high-ranking el-Khouwildy el-Ahmeidy, was seriously wounded in a NATO air-strike while he was heading to Zawiya.
On 13 June, contact with the rebel spokesman in the city, who was updating journalists on the situation, had ceased and the highway running through Zawiya toward the Tunisian border was re-opened. Foreign journalists were taken on a tour along the highway, confirming that traffic wasn't being re-routed anymore around Zawiya, as was done at the beginning of the fighting.
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...
against army units and militiamen 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...
in the city of Zawiya.
Between February and March 2011 there was a major battle for control of this city
First Battle of Zawiya
The First Battle of Zawiya was a battle during the 2011 Libyan civil war between army units and militiamen loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and anti-Gaddafi forces for control of the city of Zawiya....
in which the rebels were defeated by the Gaddafi forces.
The Fighting
New clashes had restarted by early June, with an anti-Gaddafi uprising within the city. On 11 June, a spokesman for the rebel National Transitional CouncilNational Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
said that the opposition fighters were in control of a large area on the western side of the city. However, there was no independent confirmation of the claim. Later the same day, Reuters confirmed that the coastal road was shut down and deserted, except for a large number of soldiers, police and armed men in civilian clothes. Residents also confirmed that fighting begun during the morning between loyalist forces and rebels and described fighting as "heavy".
According to rebel spokesman within the city, 30 rebels were killed and 20 wounded in two days of fighting. The rebels managed to take control of the western side of the city, but the loyalists remained in control of the city center and the eastern side. Also, there were reports that loyalist forces were receiving reinforcements. Guma el-Gamaty, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based coordinator for the National Transitional Council claimed that rebel fighters in Zawiya are composed of fighters which trained in the Nafusa Mountains. Moussa Ibrahim
Moussa Ibrahim
Moussa Ibrahim is a Libyan political figure, serving as Libyan Minister of Information and the official spokesman for Muammar Gaddafi as of March 2011. He came to general international attention during the 2011 Libyan civil war.-Biography:...
, a Libyan government spokesman, insisted that only 20 to 25 rebels guerrilla fighters infiltrated the city and were being surrounded, and that they posed no threat to the regime.
By the evening of 12 June, a government spokesman announced that the rebels were defeated at Zawiya after hours of fighting. A group of foreign reporters were taken from Tripoli to Zawiya for confirmation of the loyalist victory. The reporters saw secure streets and confirmed that the pro-Gaddafi green flag was flying at the main square, where hours earlier rebels had claimed to have surrounded the loyalists and be attacking them from three sides. The government stated that the opposition forces had been pushed out of the city and surrounded on the edge of Zawiya. This was partially confirmed with a reporter hearing several gun shots west of the city center, from where the rebels assaulted, and a rebel in the town stating that fighting was still taking place.
The rebels claimed that during the battle, a loyalist commander, the high-ranking el-Khouwildy el-Ahmeidy, was seriously wounded in a NATO air-strike while he was heading to Zawiya.
On 13 June, contact with the rebel spokesman in the city, who was updating journalists on the situation, had ceased and the highway running through Zawiya toward the Tunisian border was re-opened. Foreign journalists were taken on a tour along the highway, confirming that traffic wasn't being re-routed anymore around Zawiya, as was done at the beginning of the fighting.