2012 Bani Walid uprising

Last updated
2012 Bani Walid uprising
Part of the Factional violence in Libya (2011–2014)
Date23–25 January 2012
(2 days)
Location
Bani Walid, Libya
Result

Brigade 93 Tactical victory

  • Brigade 93 takes control of the city
  • May 28 Brigade withdraws from the city to Tripoli
  • NTC local council abolished and Warfalla tribal council established, which is then recognized by the NTC as the new official city council
  • Continuing lawlessness leads to the Siege of Bani Walid (2012) by the NTC Army and the city being reoccupied by the government by November 2012.
Belligerents

Flag of Libya (1951-1969).svg National Liberation Army

  • May 28 Brigade

Flag of Libya (1977-2011).svg Brigade 93 [1] [2]

Commanders and leaders

Flag of Libya (1951-1969).svg Abdullah al-Khazmi Ali al-Fotmani

Flag of Libya (1951-1969).svg Abdelsalem Saed Ouhida  † 		Flag of Libya (1977-2011).svg Colonel Salem al-Ouaer
Strength
5,000~ 100-300 Warfalla aligned fighters [3]
Casualties and losses
5-8 killed, 25-30 wounded [4] [5] None

The 2012 Bani Walid uprising was an event which started on 23 January 2012 due to an incident in the city of Bani Walid in which the "May 28 Brigade" militia wished to arrest local men in unclear circumstances. The May 28 Brigade and their compound were then attacked by local fighters who then took control of the town. [3] The incident, the combatants, and the motives of the two main belligerents — the May 28 Brigade and Brigade 93 — remain uncertain and contentious. The conflict was originally reported to be an attack by Gaddafi loyalists by local NTC officials. However, tribal leaders and residents have denied any affiliation with Gaddafi's remnants, stating their goal was the establishment of their own council in the city. [6] [7] Similarly Britain's Foreign Office has dismissed claims of this incident representing a pro-Gaddafi attack against the NTC, stating that this was a dispute between tribal leaders of the Warfalla tribe and the NTC. [8]

Contents

The Libyan government subsequently engaged in negotiations to re-establish normal relations with Bani Walid while maintaining a siege on the town, including a presidential visit to the town. Walid Ben Shaaban, a Libyan militia leader has stated "we will take revenge militarily but legitimately", referring to the security issues emanating from Bani Walid. [9] In October, more troops were sent to Bani Walid, with an aim of re-establishing control of the city by military means. Intense shelling of the town started on 18 October. [10]

Background

Bani Walid was one of the last cities to fall into the hands of the rebel army who overthrew Muammar Gaddafi. As a former Gaddafi loyalist stronghold, an insurgency against new rulers developed in the city. After months of tensions in the city, a group of anti-NTC fighters attacked the main NTC base in Bani Walid. [3]

Uprising

23 January attack

After distributing pro-Gaddafi papers the previous day, a group of 100-150 soldiers carrying the green flag of the Gaddafi government attacked the main NTC base of the city, killing four NTC soldiers; wounding 20 others and trapping the others in their base, according to Mahmud Warfelli, the spokesman of the NTC's council for Bani Walid, who called for help and feared a massacre as the NTC compound was besieged from all sides by the pro-Gaddafi fighters. [3]

Witnesses told Reuters that the fighting had stopped and that pro-Gaddafi fighters were in control of the city, raising green flags and roaming in the center of the town. [11]

The attack happened after a militia loyal to the National Transitional Council arrested armed pro-Gaddafi fighters. [12]

In response to the attack, armored units of NTC fighters were deployed from Misrata, tasked with cutting off all routes out of the city. [13] NTC forces were also preparing to conduct air sorties over the city, according to a Libyan Air Force official. [11]

Several NTC officials have offered conflicting reports in regards to the attack. Anes Elsharif, a former military council spokesman, said that pro-Gaddafi fighters had stormed the NTC base but they did not control the city. [14] Libyan defence minister, Osama al-Juwaily, said that while fighting has taken place, he could not confirm that Gaddafi loyalists were involved in the clashes. [15]

However, Mohamed Bashir, mayor of Bani Walid, stated that Gaddafi loyalists have seized control of the city and that NTC fighters involved in the fighting were forced to retreat. He reported that at least 20 to 25 unidentified fighters were killed in the fighting. [16]

24 January

On 24 January, local elders denied reports that they were loyal to Gaddafi and Reuters reporters in Bani Walid saw no signs of the Gaddafi-era green flags which witnesses earlier said had been hoisted over the town. [6]

A meeting of 200 elders abolished the NTC council in the city after local fighters routed NTC militia out of the town. They said that they will appoint their own government without NTC interference, but denied that they were supporting the Gaddafi government. [6]

Conflicting reports continued to come on 24 January as Al Jazeera reporter Stefanie Dekker, based on the outskirts of the town, said that pro-Gaddafi fighters took over the city on 23 January and were still in control of the town, with soldiers from other towns massing themselves on Bani Walid outskirts. The local head of the NTC council Mubarak Al Fotmani, who has been involved in the clash the previous day, flew to Misrata where he repeated his version that hundreds of pro-Gaddafi took over the city. [5]

The local NTC military leader Abdullah al-Khazmi said that the May 28 brigade was the only link between Bani Walid and the new authorities. He added that the brigade only had a superficial control over the town in the previous month and estimated that 99% of Bani Walid were pro-Gaddafi. [4] He also said that Gaddafi loyalists were branded under the Brigade 93 name and that they had been responsible for the deaths of 13 NTC fighters in December. The Associated Press also confirmed that NTC reinforcements from Benghazi were massing on the outskirts of Bani Walid. [17] [18]

Libya interior minister said that they will strike back if Gaddafi loyalists were behind the Bani Walid events. The previous day, he dismissed the claims of a pro-Gaddafi attack and said it was a local problem. [19]

Local tribal leader Colonel Ouer stated that they were in contact with Mustafa Abdul Jalil and were meeting with representatives of the nearby towns of Zintan and Sabratha. [19]

Locals elders said that the events started when the May 28 Brigade arrested a Bani Walid resident and tortured him. They accused the May 28 Brigade of becoming an oppressor in the city. The elders also said that they were not Gaddafi loyalists and that they had only local motivation. A Reuters journalist touring the city saw no green flags, but a few new Libyan flags instead, even though some pro-Gaddafi graffiti was visible on the walls of the city. [4]

The NTC jets were heard over the city, and NTC soldiers took up positions 50 km away from Bani Walid but had not received orders to move on the city. [4]

25 January

Libya's Defence Minister Osama al-Juwaily arrived in Bani Walid to hold talks with the town's new council to find a solution while NTC soldiers set up checkpoints in the surrounding region. [20]

Later in the day Libya's defense Minister recognized the newly formed local tribal council, which overthrew the local NTC council, as the new authority of Bani Walid. [21]

Cease-fire

On 26 January, the ousted militia continued to camp 30 km away from Bani Walid, and mixed together with fighters from other cities. They repeated that Bani Walid was under pro-Gaddafi control and estimated at 300 their numbers. They also claimed that dozens of pro-Gaddafi who were held at their base were freed in the uprising and threatened to launch an assault in the city if they are not allowed back in and if the former prisoners were not handed to them. Units of the national army stayed away from the militias and were manning a few checkpoints elsewhere in the desert. [22]

Residents asked by AFP said privately that they were nostalgic of Gaddafi era, one of them saying that Gaddafi was living in the heart of Bani Walid people. They also said that they were resigned to the change in the country and that the uprising was only local. A resident told that the person arrested by the May 28 Brigade, an event which started the uprising, may have been a former pro-Gaddafi fighter. The resentment toward former rebels seems widespread in Bani Walid, with accusation of theft, arbitrary arrests and other abuses issued by the local population. [23]

The new council of Bani Walid decided that May 28 brigade members could return to the city only individually and without weapons. [23]

On 27 January, a commander of the May 28 Brigade, Imbarak al-Futmani told Reuters that they would retake Bani Walid and that they were only waiting for the green light from the prime minister. The militia assembled with other militia and regrouped 800 fighters. He also claimed that insurgents, which ousted them from Bani Walid, are pro-Gaddafi and that they seized tanks when they took over the May 28 Brigade base. [24]

On 28 January, dozens of upset protesters gathered in front of the Prime minister offices to protest against the tour that the defense minister Juwaily made in Bani Walid earlier in the week. They accused him of siding with Gaddafi loyalists. An anti-Gaddafi doctor who had origins from Bani Walid said that the minister shook hands with well-known Gaddafi loyalists during his meetings in the city. [25]

As of 14 February, the tribal council was still directing the city. [26]

On 26 February, it was reported that Gaddafi loyalists were using Bani Walid as a safe haven and NTC chairman Jalil said that forces would be used if the city did not hand them. [27]

Al Jazeera reported that pro-Gaddafi elements were in control of the city. Some families that supported the Libyan rebellion fled the city for Tripoli alongside the official militia. [28]

German news outlet Qantara.de visited the city in April 2012 and reported that while many residents were resentful of the NTC due to the heavy damage anti-Gaddafi forces and looters among the militias inflicted during and immediately after the civil war, no Gaddafi-era green flags were visible in the city, while a handful of Libyan tricolours were in evidence. As of the time of publication on 27 April 2012, the NTC had still not formally recognised the Bani Walid Council of Elders' legitimacy as the local government despite the Council of Elders' edict handing over security in Bani Walid to the police and army. Many Libyans elsewhere in the country still view Bani Walid as a "Gaddafi city" owing to its late resistance during the war, according to the report. [29] However, other reports from September 2012 stated that pictures of Gaddafi are being shown in public during weddings and youths play his speeches. Furthermore, school students refrain from singing the new national anthem, and teachers refused the revised curriculum. [30]

Fighting erupted outside Bani Walid on 12 May and 2 fighters from the Misrata Libyan Shield Brigade, stationed between Tarouna and Bani Walid, were killed by local fighters. Bani Walid fighters were also suspected of having arrested 4 members of the Zliten council and one member of the former NTC council of Bani Walid who fled to Tripoli. [31] [32]

On 7 July, Bani Walid voted in the national poll, but government officials were denied access to the town and were unable to control the voting process. [33] [34]

On 11 September, interim president Mohammed el-Megarif visited Bani Walid in an attempt to reintegrate the city to the rest of the country. [30]

October siege

On 2 October, forces from Bani Walid engaged government forces in the Mordum area, resulting in one fatality. [35]

Following a buildup of several thousand government forces around Bani Walid, fighting renewed on 8 October in the Mordum area, some 30 km south of one of the front lines at Bir Dufan. The fighting resulted in several injuries but no fatalities. [35]

Of the injuries reported on 8 October, 26 were of patients admitted to Bani Walid hospital with a range of symptoms that led local doctors to accuse the Libyan Army of using gas against Bani Walid. The Libyan military and political leadership have both denied the use of gas, and it has been suggested that the gas was released from storage buildings within Bani Walid after having been hit by Libyan Army shells, or also that it was caused by some form of corrosion. [36]

On 16 October, further fighting was reported from Bani Walid on three of the fronts surrounding the town, as opposed to previous fighting which was confined to the Mordum area. The brigades involved in the initial fighting were from Misrata, Mizda, and Gharyan. As with previous fighting however, the fighting had not been authorised by the Yousef Mangoush, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff. [36] Despite lacking authorisation from Libya's political and military leadership, the fighting led to an escalating series of skirmishes between both sides, with 11 dead and 94 wounded being reported early on 18 October. [37]

This led to Libyan Army units being ordered to enforce GNC Resolution No.7, which calls for the arrest of those responsible for the death of Omran Shaban and suspected of ties to the former regime, [38] launching a full-scale attack on the town on the night of 18 October. According to army spokesman Mohammed al-Gandus, some 2,000 government forces being involved in the offensive. [39] The actual status of the town however has been in dispute, with the army claiming it was close to the center of Bani Walid and in control of the airport, whereas a local Bani Walid resident has insisted that Libyan Army units had failed to enter the city. [40]

National Congress leader Mohammed Magarief announced on 19 October that not all areas of Libya had been "fully liberated" on the eve of the first anniversary of the capture and death of deposed dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Speaking on national television, Magarief singles out Bani Walid, saying it had become "a safe haven for a large number of those who are outside of the law." [41] On 20 October, authorities in Tripoli announced the capture of Gaddafi's former spokesman Moussa Ibrahim near the town of Tarhouna, south of the capital. Ibrahim's whereabouts had been unknown since the end of the war in 2011 and there had been several earlier reports of his arrest. [42]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bani Walid</span> City in Bani Walid, Libya

Bani Walid is a city in Libya located in the Misrata District. Prior to 2007, it was the capital of Sof-Aljeen District. Bani Walid has an airport. Under the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, it was divided into two Basic People's Congresses: Dahra – Bani Walid, and Zaytouna – Bani Walid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the 2011 Libyan Civil War and military intervention (16 August – 23 October)</span>

The Libyan Civil War began on 17 February 2011 as a civil protest and later evolved into a widespread uprising. By mid-August, anti-Gaddafi forces effectively supported by a NATO-led international coalition were ascendant in Tripolitania, breaking out of the restive Nafusa Mountains in the south to mount an offensive toward the coast and advancing from Misrata on loyalist-held cities and villages from the north and east.

Khamis Gaddafi was the seventh and youngest son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and the military commander in charge of the Khamis Brigade of the Libyan Army. He was part of his father's inner circle. During the Libyan Civil War in 2011, he was a major target for opposition forces trying to overthrow his father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Liberation Army (Libya)</span> Libyan military organisation

The National Liberation Army, officially the National Liberation Armed Forces of the Free Libyan Republic, formerly known as the Free Libyan Army, was a Libyan military organisation affiliated with the National Transitional Council, which was constituted during the First Libyan Civil War by defected military members and civilian volunteers, in order to engage in battle against both remaining members of the Libyan Armed Forces and paramilitia loyal to the rule of Muammar Gaddafi. Its self proclaimed chief commander was General Khalifa Haftar, although the National Transitional Council preferred to appoint Major General Abdul Fatah Younes Al-Obeidi as its commander-in-chief. It had prepared for some time in portions of Eastern Libya controlled by the anti-Gaddafi forces for eventual full-on combat in Western Libya against pro-Gaddafi militants, training many men before beginning to go on the offensive. They have battled for control of Benghazi, Misrata, Brega, Ajdabiya, Zawiya and Ra's Lanuf as well as several towns in the Nafusa Mountains. They finally began the Battle for Tripoli in August 2011 when they attacked from the west of the city, as well as fomenting an internal uprising on 20 August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moussa Ibrahim</span> Libyan political figure (born 1974)

Moussa Ibrahim Gaddafi is a Libyan political figure who rose to international attention in 2011 as Muammar Gaddafi's Information Minister and official spokesman, serving in this role until the government was toppled the same year in the Libyan Civil War. Ibrahim held frequent press conferences in the course of the war, denouncing rebel forces and the NATO-led military intervention, often in defiant and impassioned tones. His status and whereabouts remained unknown following the Battle of Tripoli in which the Gaddafi government was overthrown, although there were several claims and subsequent refutations of his capture. Eventually, in late 2014, it was discovered he was in Egypt before he was deported and fled to Serbia. On 12 January 2015 Moussa Ibrahim spoke publicly by video link at a political event hosted at the Committee Rooms Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London from an undisclosed location, also the Director of Private Security Company.

The Battle of the Misrata frontline was a battle during the Libyan Civil War between pro-Gaddafi loyalists and anti-Gaddafi forces on the western and southwestern outskirts of Misrata, the third largest city in Libya. It ended when anti-Gaddafi soldiers secured Zliten to the west and Tawergha to the south, establishing a significant buffer zone around the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the Libyan civil war (2011)</span>

The timeline of the Libyan civil war begins on 15 February 2011 and ends on 20 October 2011. The conflict began with a series of peaceful protests, similar to others of the Arab Spring, later becoming a full-scale civil war between the forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi's government and the anti-Gaddafi forces. The conflict can roughly be divided into two periods before and after external military intervention authorized by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

The Fezzan campaign was a military campaign conducted by the National Liberation Army to take control of southwestern Libya during the Libyan Civil War. During April to June 2011, anti-Gaddafi forces gained control of most of the eastern part of the southern desert region during the Cyrenaican desert campaign. In July, Qatrun changed to anti-Gaddafi control on 17 July and back to pro-Gaddafi control on 23 July. In late August, anti- and pro-Gaddafi forces struggled for control of Sabha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tripoli Brigade</span> Libyan military unit

The Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade, also known as the Free Tripoli Guardian, was a unit of the National Liberation Army of Libya created during the First Libyan Civil War that merged into the Tripoli Protection Force. Originally formed in April 2011 in the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, it later relocated to the Nafusa Mountains, then the closest frontline to Tripoli, before advancing into the city itself in August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Gulf of Sidra offensive</span>

The Second Gulf of Sidra offensive was a military operation in the First 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. The offensive ended on 20 October, with the capture and execution of Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim Gaddafi, along with former defense minister Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr. The Gaddafi loyalists in the area were finally defeated when NTC fighters captured Sirte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Sirte (2011)</span> 2011 final battle of the First Libyan Civil War

The Battle of Sirte was the final and most decisive battle of the First Libyan Civil War, beginning when the National Liberation Army attacked the last remnants of the Libyan army still loyal to Muammar Gaddafi in his hometown and designated capital of Sirte, on the Gulf of Sidra. As of September 2011, Sirte and Bani Walid were the last strongholds of Gaddafi loyalists and the National Transitional Council hoped that the fall of Sirte would bring the war to an end. The battle and its aftermath marked the final collapse of the four-decade Gaddafi regime. Both Gaddafi and his son, Mutassim, were wounded and captured, then tortured and killed in custody less than an hour later. The month-long battle left Sirte almost completely in ruins, with many buildings damaged or totally destroyed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Bani Walid</span>

The Battle of Bani Walid was a military operation in the Libyan Civil War conducted by anti-Gaddafi forces in September and October 2011, in an effort to take control of the desert city of Bani Walid from pro-Gaddafi forces. It began following days of force buildup on the part of the attackers, as well as skirmishes around the city.

The raid on Ghadames was a series of hit-and-run attacks carried out between 24 and 26 September 2011 by groups of pro-Gaddafi forces, allegedly including elements of the Khamis Brigade, against the National Transitional Council-administered desert oasis town of Ghadames, Libya, during the Libyan Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the 2011 Libyan Civil War and military intervention (June – 15 August)</span>

The 2011 Libyan Civil War began on 17 February 2011 as a civil protest and later evolved into a widespread uprising. After a military intervention led by France, the United Kingdom, and the United States on 19 March turned the tide of the conflict at the Second Battle of Benghazi, anti-Gaddafi forces regrouped and established control over Misrata and most of the Nafusa Mountains in Tripolitania and much of the eastern region of Cyrenaica. In mid-May, they finally broke an extended siege of Misrata.

Mohammed Abdullah Senussi was the son of former Libyan Intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi. He was also known to be the first volunteer to fight against the rebels, and well-known in Libya for shooting down an American fighter jet above Misrata. On 29 August 2011, he and his cousin Khamis Gaddafi, were killed by a National Transitional Council technical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Factional violence in Libya (2011–2014)</span> Period of violence in Libya following the overthrow of Gaddafi

Following the end of the First Libyan Civil War, which overthrew Muammar Gaddafi, there was violence involving various militias and the new state security forces. This violence has escalated into the Second Libyan Civil War (2014–2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brigade 93</span>

Brigade 93 is one of many militias that formed in the wake of the Libyan Civil War. It is based in Bani Walid, a former stronghold of the Gaddafi regime. The militia is mainly composed of those still loyal to Gaddafi.

The Siege of Bani Walid was a military conflict in Libya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaddafi loyalism</span> Sympathetic sentiment towards the overthrown government of Muammar Gaddafi

Gaddafi loyalism, in a wider political and social sense also known as the Green resistance, consists of sympathetic sentiment towards the overthrown government of Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed in October 2011, and his Third International Theory. Despite Muammar Gaddafi's death, his legacy and Jamahiriya ideology still maintains a popular appeal both inside and outside Libya into the present day. Regardless, the Western sentiment has largely been that this continued support may contribute to some of the ongoing violence in Libya.

The Misrata Military Council, also commonly referred to as the Misrata Brigades, or the Misrata Revolutionary Brigades, are armed units linked to the town of Misrata and its surrounding area, allied to, but separate from, the Libyan Army. They are the largest and strongest military unit in all of Libya, consisting of 40,000 fighters with over 200 battalions, making them the largest block of fighters. The Misrata Brigades played a large part in the Libyan Revolution, which overthrew Gaddafi, as well as the Second Libyan Civil War in which they fought the Libyan National Army as well as ISIL in Sirte.

References

  1. ↑ "Nine Libyan forces killed in clashes with Qaddafi loyalists". Al Arabiya. 22 September 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  2. ↑ Qaddafi Loyalists Seize Bani Walid. Israelnationalnews.com (2012-01-24). Retrieved on 2012-09-30.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "'Pro-Kadhafi' attack kills four in Libya". Google News. Tripoli. Agence France-Presse. 23 January 2012. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Holmes, Oliver (24 January 2012). "UPDATE 1-Anger, chaos but no revolt after Libya violence". Reuters Africa. Bani Walid. Reuters. Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Pro-Gaddafi fighters retake Bani Walid". Al Jazeera. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 Holmes, Oliver (24 January 2012). "Former Gaddafi stronghold revolts against Tripoli". Reuters Africa. Bani Walid. Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "Libye: Bani Walid, ville nostalgique de Kadhafi". AFP (in French). 27 January 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  8. ↑ Lamloum, Imed (26 September 2012). "Libya's Misrata tense after Kadhafi catcher's death". Google News. Misrata. Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  9. ↑ "Qaddafi loyalists take over Bani Walid". CBS News. Benghazi. Associated Press. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  10. ↑ State-linked Libyan militias shell Bani Walid
  11. 1 2 Zargoun, Taha (23 January 2012). "UPDATE 4-Gaddafi supporters seize control of Libyan town". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "Libya fighting: Four die in Gaddafi loyalists clash". BBC News. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  13. ↑ Stephen, Chris; Harding, Luke (23 January 2012). "Gaddafi loyalists take back Bani Walid". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  14. ↑ "Gaddafi Loyalists 'Seize Key Libyan Town'". Sky News. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  15. ↑ Stephen, Christopher (23 January 2012). "Fighting Flares in Libyan Town Still Loyal to Qaddafi Regime". Bloomberg. New York. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  16. ↑ "Fighting erupts in Libya's Bani Walid". Al Jazeera. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  17. ↑ "Gaddafi loyalists attack Libyan towns". Sydney Morning Herald. Associated Press. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  18. ↑ Al-Shaheibi, Rami; Michael, Maggie (24 January 2012). "Moammar Gadhafi loyalists seize Libyan town". ABC News. Benghazi. Associated Press. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  19. 1 2 "Libya says will strike back if Kadhafi men behind unrest". Google News. Tripoli. Agence France-Presse. 24 January 2012. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  20. ↑ Zargoun, Taha; Holmes, Oliver (25 January 2012). "Libyan defence minister in restive town for talks". Reuters Africa. Tripoli. Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  21. ↑ "UPDATE 2-Libyan government concedes to restive town's demands". Reuters Africa. Tripoli. Reuters. 25 January 2012. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  22. ↑ Stephen, Chris (26 January 2011). "Libya militias prepare to retake Bani Walid from Gaddafi loyalists". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  23. 1 2 "Kadhafi 'lives on in our hearts': Bani Walid residents". Dawn. Karachi. Agence France-Presse. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  24. ↑ Oliver, Holmes; Zargoun, Taha (27 January 2012). "INTERVIEW-Libyan commander says will retake Bani Walid". Reuters Africa. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  25. ↑ "Libyans protest at minister's tour of ex-regime bastion". NOW Lebanon. Agence France-Presse. 28 January 2012. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  26. ↑ Holmes, Oliver; Zargoun, Taha (14 February 2012). "Tribal ties tangle post-Gaddafi Libya". Reuters Africa. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  27. ↑ "Libya: NTC Chairman Denies Khamis Capture, Warns Neighbouring Countries over Harbouring Pro-Gaddafi Criminals". Archived from the original on 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
  28. ↑ "Libyan city's fate in the balance".
  29. ↑ Hackensberger, Alfred (27 April 2012). "A Deceptive Calm". Qantara.de. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  30. 1 2 "Libya's leader reaches out to Gadhafi loyalists' last stronghold". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 11 September 2012. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  31. ↑ "Bani Walid negotiator hospitalised after clashes with NTC guards".
  32. ↑ "Fighting outside Bani Walid".
  33. ↑ "Libyans Vote in First Election in More Than 40 Years".
  34. ↑ "Old rivalries are endangering Libya's dreams for a fresh start". 5 July 2012.
  35. 1 2 "Renewed clashes near Bani Walid". Libya Herald. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  36. 1 2 "Attacks on Bani Walid reported from three fronts". Libya Herald. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  37. ↑ "Bani Walid clashes leave at least 10 dead, scores wounded". Libya Herald. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  38. ↑ "National army en-route to Bani Walid after Magarief visit cancelled". Libya Herald. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  39. ↑ "Exclusive: Full-scale assault on Bani Walid begins". Libya Herald. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  40. ↑ "Confusion rife as Libyan army storms town of Bani Walid". The Guardian. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  41. ↑ "Leader says Libya not "fully liberated" year after Gaddafi death (Reuters)". Archived from the original on 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
  42. ↑ "Libya gov't says former Gaddafi spokesman captured (Reuters)". Archived from the original on 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.