The Battle of Benghazi (2014–2017) was a major battle of the Second Libyan Civil War that raged from October 2014 to December 2017, between the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya, and the Libyan National Army (LNA), and paramilitaries supporting the LNA in the city. The battle was a direct consequence of the failed Benina Airport Offensive by the Benghazi Revolutionaries and their allies, which allowed LNA forces to regroup and attack deep into Benghazi.
By May 2016, the LNA controlled at least 90% of the city, including Ansar Al-Sharia's main neighborhood of Al-Laithi, Benghazi University, and the Cement Factory.
A number of Benghazi revolutionaries regrouped later on and announced the formation of the Benghazi Defense Brigades in June 2016, to support the Shura Council. Despite LNA General Khalifa Haftar's declaration of the "liberation" of the city, dozens of gunmen remained fortified and besieged in Sidi Akribesh, according to sources close to military, with the final pocket persisting until December 2017.
Timeline of the battle
Operation launched
On 14 October 2014, Khalifa Haftar declared he would "liberate the city" from "terrorists". Troops loyal to him and allied to the army, launched an offensive on 15 October with some residents allying with his forces to dismantle checkpoints set up by Islamists. Per hospital medics, at least nine soldiers and four civilians were found dead on a street during the clashes, with two soldiers wounded. Haftar's forces and the army stated on 17 October they were in complete control of the camp of February 17th Martyrs Brigade. Meanwhile, Red Crescent called for a ceasefire.
At least 18 people were killed in fighting on 17 October according to Benghazi Medical Centre, with the dead being mostly soldiers and allied civilian from the central al-Majouri neighbourhood. The total death toll climbed to 52 according to hospital figures. Farraj Hashem, the spokesman of Libya's elected parliament called House of Representatives which had relocated to Tobruk, announced that the parliament had endorsed Haftar's "Operation Dignity" against the Islamists and had given him an official role.
After the militants were expelled from the airport and the February 17 camp, fighting broke out in the campus of University of Benghazi between Ansar al-Sharia and the army, as well as areas around the February 17 camp. Units of the Libyan Army also clashed with the Islamists in other areas according to residents. Meanwhile, the death toll in the clashes rose to 130 by 26 October. Ten people were killed on 29 October according to medics as several residential districts were hit by rockets and artillery shells, with the death toll rising to at least 180.
Special Forces commander Wanis Bukhamada stated on 31 October that his troops had recaptured four army barracks after two weeks of clashes, as well as the eastern road leading out of the city. He also claimed the army was in control of 80% of the city. The death toll meanwhile rose to 210 according to medics.
Stalemate and Port of Benghazi
On 3 November, Libyan Army urged residents to evacuate Islamist-controlled Assabri district which houses the Port of Benghazi. Ansar al-Sharia had retreated to the district after the Army had taken control of other areas. A ship of the Libyan Navy was struck during heavy clashes that involved airplanes and tanks according to residents. Five pro-government soldiers were killed and 28 wounded on 8 November, with the death toll rising to 300 according to medics.
Fighters loyal to Islamic State of Iraq and Levant were reported to have expanded their presence westwards from Derna along the coast, including in Benghazi.
About 400 were killed by 29 November according to medics, with the fighting focused on the port in the past three weeks. About 50 were killed in the next 10 days, medical personnel stated on 10 December. The fighting had become a stalemate around the port. Mohamed El Hejazi, Haftar's spokesman as well as the spokesman for the army in eastern Libya, stated that reinforcements were arriving from Tobruk and Ajdabiya.
By 18 December, at least 25 people had been killed and 103 wounded over the previous eight days according to medics, bringing the death toll to 475 as clashes continued in the port. The death toll climbed to 600 by 18 January 2015, according to medics, with the army trying to capture the port and two other districts where they claimed Ansar al-Sharia was holed up, with the army controlling most of the city according to Reuters. Mohamed El Hejazi claimed the army controlled 90% of the city.
Renewed advance
Heavy clashes erupted on 6 February 2015 as pro-government forces pushed to capture the port. Army vehicles advanced along the Corniche gate to the gate of the port and a nearby court building. They also captured several government buildings. Seven soldiers were killed and 25 wounded according to military officials. Two people were killed and 20 wounded, according to medics and military officials, in a car bomb attack on a military base in Lithi neighborhood where the military and Islamists were fighting.
The death toll of the battle rose to 700 on 8 February according to medics. Libyan special forces declared on 9 February 2015 that they had captured the main military base, on a road to the airport, from the Islamists. Military official Fadil Hassi stated that two people were killed and 30 injured when at least two rockets struck downtown Benghazi. Bukhamada meanwhile claimed that his troops had captured a large part of the airport road.
Slowdown
The House of Representatives appointed Haftar as the commander of the armed forces in early March. Seven soldiers were killed according to Fadl al-Hasi, in a suicide car bomb attack on an army checkpoint in Laithi district. ISIL claimed the attack with the military carrying out air strikes in response. Meanwhile, two people were killed when a rocket hit a residential building. Medics stated on 11 April that ten soldiers were killed and 55 wounded with a tank battalion and armed youths clashing against the Shura for most of the previous day.
Two civilians were killed and four wounded when a residential building was struck by a rocket on 7 May. The death toll of the battle rose to 53 in the past five weeks. Around 17 civilians were killed since April while 90 were wounded in artillery and rocket strikes. Thirty-six soldiers and armed youths were killed while about 270 were wounded in street clashes since April. Hejazi blamed the Islamists for firing rockets whenever the army attacked their areas, though this was denied by the Islamist faction.
Nine soldiers were killed in clashes on 20 May. Thirty soldiers were wounded according to a military spokesman. He also stated that the special forces, backed by helicopters, had recaptured several government buildings. A military spokesman stated on 1 June that they were facing an ammunition shortage. Progress had stalled as Shura fighters were holed up in several districts as well as the port. Meanwhile, hospital sources said that 57 soldiers had been killed and 170 were wounded in May.
Offensive stalls
Medics stated on 11 July that around 19 people were killed and 80 wounded in clashes in past three days with heavy clashes in the Laithi area where Islamist fighters attacked soldiers who had cut off the main streets into the district. ISIL stated on 15 July that it had killed a Libyan Army commander Salem al-Naili as the offensive appeared to stall. Army officials stated he was killed in clashes in Laithi along with another soldier.
The offensive stalled by August with the army receiving high casualties as it lacked training and weapons for street clashes. Special forces spokesman Milad al-Zwai stated that 25 soldiers were killed and 35 wounded in July. A tank battalion fought against Islamist brigades trying to advance on 30 August. Four soldiers were killed and six wounded according to medics. Pro-ISIL fighters trying to capture tanks attacked a LNA post in Annawaghia, a town 8 kilometres (5 mi) southwest of Benghazi. At least seven soldiers were killed while repelling the attack.
At least 16 people were killed according to a military commander on 11 November. Military spokesman Milad Zwei, meanwhile, stated that they had captured the air defense camp between Mash'hash and Sidi Faraj districts. Medical officials stated on 20 February 2016 that 14 people were killed in clashes between LNA and Islamist militants. A military spokesman told Reuters that most of the clashes were occurring in the neighborhood of Botani.
Summer 2016 advance
LNA claimed on 21 February that they had pushed back Islamists in several areas and had taken further territory including the strategic port of Marisa as well as the nearby Al-Halis district. On 23 February, the army captured the Laithi area, which was notorious as a nerve centre of ISIL. The military stated it had seized complete control of Boatni and Laithi districts.
A hospital source stated on 16 April that at least 15 soldiers were killed in clashes in the past two days with 40 being wounded. ISIL had attempted two suicide attacks near a cement factory to the west of the city where fighters were holding out, though only one struck the troops per Milad al-Zawie. ISIL claimed to have killed dozens of soldiers, though Zawie stated 6 were killed and 25 wounded.
Zawie stated on 18 April that the troops had captured a cement factory and cemetery in El Hawari district where pro-ISIL fighters had been holding out. He also stated that they had captured a camp behind Garyounis University. They thus built on their advance in February when they had captured Laithi and Boatni districts.
By 22 June, the LNA captured the Gharyounis district and most of the tourist village at Ganfouda, under the control of Benghazi Shura. On the same day, 11 fighters affiliated with Khalifa Haftar-led Dignity Operation forces were killed and almost 5 others were injured due to clashes with the Benghazi Shura Council, according to a source.
Attempted BDB offensive towards Benghazi
The Benghazi Defense Brigades (BDB), a new grouping allied with the Shura Council Islamists, was founded on 1 June 2016, combining soldiers, ex-policemen and Islamist mujahideen previously expelled from Benghazi by the LNA. After an attack on Ajdabiya in late June, its commander Mustafa al-Sharkasi announced their intention to advance and retake Benghazi. BDB sources stated on 10 July 2016 that it had captured Sultan and Al-Jeldaya checkpoint, however LNA refuted this, stating the attack was repelled. BDB's media wing announced on 16 July it had started moving towards Benghazi after capturing many areas west of it including Al-Magroon and were 60 to 70 kilometres away from Benghazi.
On 17 July, BDB claimed it had shot down a LNA helicopter in Al-Magroon. The militia later on 19 July reported that two French special forces troops were possibly among the crew killed in the crash. A day later, French government confirmed that three French special forces soldiers had died in the crash. French military and intelligence presence was announced in February 2016, after a small detachment of Special Forces and DGSE based out of Benina Airport assisted the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army. The detachment had been in Libya for several months, and coordinated the November US strike on Derna which killed the most senior ISIL leader in the country, Iraqi Abu Nabil al-Anbari.
BDB stated on 20 July that 13 of its fighters were killed in retaliatory French airstrikes near Benghazi. Red Crescent stated that it had received 17 bodies from districts bombed to east of Benghazi. After an overnight air attack and LNA advance, BDB were reported to be retreating towards Sultan while LNA entered Magroon. BDB was reported to have retreated back to Al Jufra Airbase on 22–23 July.
Libyan Air Force commander Saqr Geroushi meanwhile in July confirmed the presence of soldiers of Western nations in Libya. He stated that 20 troops from United States, France and United Kingdom were stationed at Benina airbase, stating they were only "monitoring the movements of the Islamic State jihadists and how they store ammunition" but "there are no (foreign) pilots fighting in the place of our pilots and fighters."
However many sources indicates that French Special Forces and DGSE along with other unit were actually operating on the ground during the battle for the city. It seems that French leads at least 4 raid in February and were active in fight alongside the LNA.
LNA capture of Gwarsha and advance into Ganfouda
On 20 August 2016, the LNA captured several parts of the Gwarsha district and offered ceasefire to the militants if they surrendered. On 2 August 2016, a car bomb attack claimed by the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries in a residential district in Guwarsha district of western Benghazi targeting Libyan National Army killed at least 22 and injured another 20 more people.