Battle of Ajdabiya

Last updated

Battle of Ajdabiya
Part of the Libyan Civil War
Date15–17 March 2011 (First phase)
21–26 March 2011 (Second phase)
Location
Ajdabiya, Libya
30°45′20″N20°13′31″E / 30.75556°N 20.22528°E / 30.75556; 20.22528
Result Pro-Gaddafi victory in the first phase [1]
Anti-Gaddafi victory in the second phase [2]
Belligerents

Flag of Libya (1951-1969).svg Anti-Gaddafi forces

Flag of the United Nations.svg UNSC Resolution 1973 forces [3]

Flag of Libya (1977-2011).svg Gaddafi Loyalists

Strength
Saaiqa 36 Battalion
Several hundred volunteers
2 fighter jets
3 helicopters		 Four battalions (including some elements of the Khamis Brigade)
Air support (until 18 March)
Casualties and losses
136 killed, [7] 175 missing, [8] 250 wounded,* [9] at least 1 tank destroyed [10] 20 killed, 20 captured, 3 tanks destroyed, 4–7 tanks captured, 2 armed oil tankers sunk and 1 damaged (First phase, unconfirmed rebel claims) [11] [12]
1 armed oil tanker damaged (First phase, independently confirmed) [13]
21 killed, [14] 6 captured, 24+ tanks, armored vehicles and mobile rocket launchers destroyed or captured [15] (Second phase)
25 [16] –30 [17] civilians killed
*Numbers of killed, missing or wounded on the rebel side include civilians

The Battle of Ajdabiya was an armed battle in and near the city of Ajdabiya that took place as part of the Libyan Civil War. It was fought between anti-government rebels and military forces loyal to the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Following the Second Battle of Brega, in which pro-Gaddafi forces captured the town, Ajdabiya was the only major rebel-held city left en route to the rebel capital of Benghazi. The battle for Ajdabiya had been cited as a potential turning point in the conflict on which the fate of the whole rebellion against the Gaddafi government may be decided. [18] On 26 March 2011, Libyan rebels, backed by extensive allied air raids, seized control of the frontline oil town of Ajdabiya from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces. [19] During the first phase of the battle, pro-Gaddafi forces seized the strategic road junction leading to Benghazi and Tobruk, and captured most of the city. The city centre remained in rebel hands but was surrounded by pro-government forces and cut off from outside assistance. After the second phase, anti-Gaddafi forces recaptured the road junction and cleared loyalist forces from the city, sending them retreating down the Libyan Coastal Highway towards Sirte.

Contents

Events

Prior to the battle

Ajdabiya was the site of anti-government protests on 16–17 February 2011 in which up to 10 people were said to have been killed, some by pro-government snipers. [20] Protesters quickly took control of the city and declared it to be a "Free City" after burning down the local government headquarters. [21]

First phase

On 15 March 2011, government forces advancing from Brega (which they had captured just a few hours earlier) hit Ajdabiya with a rolling artillery barrage. Air and naval strikes also hit the city. The city had been subjected to airstrikes for the previous three days. Rebels had stated on 13 March, that they would defend the city to the death. However, as soon as the attack started, all of the rebel forces that were not local (from Ajdabiya) were in full retreat, with some of the civilian population, toward Benghazi. Following the artillery strikes, loyalist ground troops attacked. The rebels had expected the loyalists to come in from the west, and they did. However, another separate government force had outflanked the rebels and attacked the city from the south. The loyalists quickly overran the western rebel defences and took the western gate into the city. Also, government soldiers had taken the eastern gate of the city, preventing any more rebels from retreating toward Benghazi. The city was surrounded and the junction at Ajdabiya was under government control, opening the way for them to Benghazi. After the encirclement was complete, government battle tanks went into Ajdabiya all the way to the city center. They encountered the rebel remnants and street fighting ensued. While the fighting was going on in the streets, two old rebel air-attack fighters, sent from Benghazi, attacked the government naval ships that had been pounding the city from the sea. According to independent news sources, only one ship was hit, while the rebels claimed they hit three warships, of which two sank. After a few hours, most of the city was under government control, however, in order to avoid surprise attacks by hidden rebels during the night, the tanks retreated to the outskirts of the city. The rebels thought they had won. However, just before midnight, a new round of artillery fire hit Ajdabiya, coming from the loyalist forces that were all around the town. [11] [22] [23]

On 16 March, fighting continued with neither side having the upper hand in the battle or in full control of the town. [24] Government forces returning from the front said in interviews that rebel resistance was fierce. During the day, a force of rebel reinforcements, coming from Benghazi, came to within a few kilometers from the eastern entrance to the city before they were engaged by loyalist troops. They made a small corridor to link up Benghazi with Ajdabiya, but pro-Gaddafi troops still had a strong presence on the eastern outskirts of the city. Also, rebels had managed to retake the southern entrance to the city, while the western entrance was still under government control. Three rebel helicopters had attacked pro-Gaddafi forces on the highway at the west entrance where they were preparing for a final push into the city with more weapons, ammunition and troop reinforcements coming in from Sirte. [10] [25]

Just after midnight on 17 March, government troops attacked the southern gate of the city. After three hours of fighting, they had retaken it. Later during the morning loyalist forces closed the corridor on the eastern side of the city. With this, the city was once again firmly surrounded. While the fighting was going on in Ajdabiya, more government troops landed from the sea, in an amphibious attack, at the small oil port town of Zuwetina, that is to the north on the road between Ajdabiya and Benghazi. The town fell quickly to loyalist forces. [26] However, rebel leaders claimed that they had surrounded the government landing force and were engaging them. [27] The next day the rebels claimed, several of their fighters, along with a number of civilians, were killed and 20 government soldiers captured in fighting at the port. [28]

Second phase

With a no-fly zone put in place on 19 March, and air-strikes on Gaddafi's force's supply and tank convoys, the rebels on 20 March, started an advance from Benghazi to attempt to reach Ajdabiya. [29] Along the way, they retook the town of Zuwetina. [30] On 21 March, advancing rebel forces from Benghazi attempted to attack Ajdabiya, trying to relieve the rebels inside the city and drive out the loyalist troops. However, their attack was repelled by government troops supported by fire from tanks and multiple rocket launchers. The rebels retreated to a checkpoint 19 kilometres (12 mi) from the city. [31] [32] That night, U.S. aircraft fired on some loyalist positions at Ajdabiya, that were reported to be shelling the city. [6]

The next morning, rebels, along with a Guardian reporter that was with them, claimed that the plumes of smoke from the city were from government targets that were hit by the U.S. air-strikes the previous night. [33] The rebels claimed that at least three loyalist tanks were destroyed at the eastern entrance to the city by Coalition air-strikes. [34] An Al Jazeera news crew filmed the wreckage of one tank at a checkpoint that was established by the rebels as part of the frontline. [33]

On 23 March, coalition jets launched air-strikes against Gaddafi forces at the eastern gate. [35] People fleeing the city stated that only the center of the city remained in rebel hands while the suburbs were under government control. [36] Reporters from the Independent were led on a two-day tour of Ajdabiya by the government and saw no evidence of large-scale destruction that was claimed by the rebels. [37]

On 24 March, Gaddafi's forces were still holding the main east and west gate areas of the city and most of the town, except the city centre, and managing to hold off the advancing rebel troops from entering the city with the help of mortar and artillery fire. [38] Late on 24 March, some outside rebel forces managed to get into Ajdabiya, and the situation in the city was becoming fluid, with large parts of the town changing sides. [38] During the night, British fighter jets launched air-strikes on Gaddafi force's tanks and armored vehicles. [5]

By 25 March, the western and central part of the city were controlled by the loyalists while the eastern part was controlled by the rebels. [39] Early in the morning, the opposition council relayed a message to Gaddafi's forces in the city through local tribal leaders. They called upon the loyalists to lay down their weapons and surrender. However, government troops refused the offer of surrender, and the rebels were starting to mass on the edge of the city for an offensive to attack Ajdabiya. During the afternoon, four rebel multiple rocket launchers, that were brought to the frontline, started firing on loyalist positions. Government artillery responded to the attack. [40] Just before evening, the rebel offensive on the Gaddafi controlled areas of the city was called off after forward rebel units were repelled by loyalist armored units at the gates of the town further continuing the stalemate. [41]

During the night, some rebel units were still managing to get into the city through the corridor established the previous evening [42] and British aircraft destroyed seven loyalist tanks in and around the city. [43] By this point, the city was divided between the loyalist-held western side and the rebel-held eastern side.[ citation needed ]

On 26 March, rebel fighters in Ajdabiya claimed to be in control of the city, a claim confirmed by Al Jazeera reporters on the ground. [44] Libya's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said government forces pulled out of Ajdabiya after another night of coalition strikes, Reuters reports. He accused Western forces of directly aiding the rebels. [45] Rebels then headed to Brega and managed to capture the city. [46] [47]

Al Jazeera received reports that pro-Gaddafi Libyan army general Bilgasim al-Ganga was captured by rebels during the night of 25 March. [46]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajdabiya</span> Town in Cyrenaica, Libya

Ajdabiya is a town in and capital of the Al Wahat District in northeastern Libya. It is some 150 kilometres (93 mi) south of Benghazi. From 2001 to 2007 it was part of and capital of the Ajdabiya District. The town is divided into three Basic People's Congresses: North Ajdabiya, West Ajdabiya and East Ajdabiya.

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

The battle of Misrata, also known as the siege of Misrata, was a battle of the 2011 Libyan Civil War for the control of Misrata. It was fought between troops loyal to the government of Muammar Gaddafi, and anti-Gaddafi rebels who held Misrata, the third largest city in Libya. Following the initial stages of the uprising, the Libyan government took back most towns in the west of the country, leaving Misrata the only major city under rebel control in Tripolitania. The city soon became the site of one of the war's major battles and the suffering of its citizens gained worldwide attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Battle of Benghazi</span>

The First Battle of Benghazi occurred as part of the Libyan Civil War between army units and militiamen loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and anti-Gaddafi forces in February 2011. The battle mainly took place in Benghazi, the second-largest city in Libya, with related clashes occurring in the nearby Cyrenaican cities of Bayda and Derna. In Benghazi itself most of the fighting occurred during a siege of the government-controlled Katiba compound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Battle of Brega</span>

The First Battle of Brega was fought during the 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 of Ras Lanuf was a two-phase battle in 2011 during the Libyan Civil War between forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and those loyal to the National Transitional Council. Both forces sought control of the town of Ras Lanuf. The first phase followed two days after the First Battle of Brega which occurred in the town Brega, roughly 130 kilometres (81 mi) to the east of Ras 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 Ras Lanuf.

The Second Battle of Brega took place during the Libyan Civil War. More than 10 days earlier, anti-Gaddafi forces beat back an attempt by loyalist forces to take the town on 2 March 2011, in the First Battle of Brega. Following that battle, rebel forces advanced along the Libyan Coastal Highway, taking the towns of Ra's Lanuf and Bin Jawad. However, after the Battle of Bin Jawad and the Battle of Ra's Lanuf, government troops retook all of the territory lost and were once again threatening Brega by mid-March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Battle of Benghazi</span> 2011 battle of the Libyan Civil War

The Second Battle of Benghazi took place during the Libyan Civil War between army units and militiamen loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and anti-Gaddafi forces in Benghazi. The battle marked the start of a United Nations-mandated military intervention in the conflict, with fighter jets from the French Air Force attacking and destroying several pro-Gaddafi units, forcing them to retreat.

The Third Battle of Brega was fought during the Libyan Civil War between government forces and anti-Gaddafi forces for control of the town of Brega and its surroundings.

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

The First Gulf of Sidra offensive was the second major rebel offensive of the Libyan Civil War. It was mounted by anti-Gaddafi forces immediately after their victory in the Battle of Ajdabiya. The offensive was meant to have the rebel forces quickly reach Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte.

The Fourth Battle of Brega was a battle during the Libyan Civil War between forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and forces of the Libyan opposition for control of the strategic town of Brega and its oil port.

The Nafusa Mountains campaign was a series of battles in the Libyan Civil War, fought between loyalist pro-Gaddafi forces and rebel anti-Gaddafi forces in the Nafusa Mountains and, at a later period, in the surrounding plains of western Libya. The mountain range is of strategic importance due to its close proximity to the capital of Tripoli. Along with the city of Misrata, the Nafusa Mountains region was one of the major rebel strongholds in Tripolitania.

The Battle of Brega–Ajdabiya road was a battle during the Libyan Civil War between forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and anti-Gaddafi forces for control of the towns of Brega and Ajdabiya respectively and the Libyan Coastal Highway between them.

The Cyrenaican desert campaign was a military campaign conducted by the Libyan military in the form of hit-and-run attacks against rebel-held towns and oil facilities in the eastern Libyan Desert that began in April 2011, during the Libyan Civil War. The campaign failed in denying anti-Gaddafi forces control of southern Cyrenaica.

The Second Battle of Zawiya or Zawia took place during the Libyan Civil War between rebel anti-Gaddafi forces and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi for control of the Tripolitanian city of Zawia.

The Battle of Zliten followed an unsuccessful uprising in Zliten, Libya, during the Libyan Civil War. It began on 21 July 2011 when elements of the National Liberation Army, part of the anti-Gaddafi forces seeking to overthrow the government of Muammar Gaddafi, moved into the city of Zliten after struggling over the course of the past several months to extend the frontline westward from Misrata, the second-largest city in rebel hands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the 2011 Libyan Civil War before military intervention</span>

The Libyan Civil War began on 15 February 2011 as a chain of civil protests and later evolved into a widespread uprising against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. On 25 February, most of eastern Libya was reported to be under the control of protesters and rebel forces. Gaddafi remained in control of the cities of Tripoli, Sirte and Sabha. By 15 March, however, Gaddafi's forces had retaken more than half a dozen lost cities. Except for most of Cyrenaica and a few Tripolitania cities the majority of cities had returned to Gaddafi government control.

<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 First Battle of Zawiya or Zawia was a battle during the Libyan Civil War between army units and militiamen loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and anti-Gaddafi forces for control of the city of Zawia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the 2011 Libyan Civil War and military intervention (19 March – May)</span>

The Libyan Civil War began on 15 February 2011 as a civil protest and later evolved into a widespread uprising. However, by 19 March, Libyan forces under Colonel Muammar Gaddafi were on the brink of a decisive victory over rebels in Libya's east. That day, leading NATO members acted on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 which authorized member states "to take all necessary measures... to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding an occupation force".

<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.

References

  1. ↑ "Libyan rebels sweep west through key oil centres, aided by international airstrikes - 1310News". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  2. ↑ "Libya rebels recapture Ajdabiya". BBC News. 26 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "UN clears way for Libyan no-fly zone". 18 March 2011.
  4. ↑ "Nato takes control of enforcing Libya no-fly zone". 25 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Military Operations | RAF Tornados attack Libyan armoured vehicles". UK Ministry of Defence. 20 February 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  6. 1 2 "Coalition Watching Qaddafi Son's Elite Unit, U.S. Commander Saysl". 23 March 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2011.
  7. ↑ 30 bodies at the hospital on 17 March , 3 bodies at the western entrance to the city, Archived 23 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine 2 killed on 18 March , 82 killed inside the city from 21 to 26 March, 8 killed outside the city on 21 March, 2 killed outside the city on 22 March, 9 killed outside the city on 23 March, total of 136 reported killed
  8. ↑ "Libya Live Blog – 28 March". Archived from the original on 28 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  9. ↑ Sherlock, Ruth (25 March 2011). "Fear and defiance as forces battle for Ajdabiya". Edinburgh: Scotsman.com News. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  10. 1 2 "Rebels battle to hold city under Gadhafi siege". Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  11. 1 2 "Rumors from an Encircled Town: The Fate of Ajdabiyah". Time. 15 March 2011. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  12. ↑ "Rebel fighter jets 'sink Gaddafi warships'". 16 March 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  13. ↑ "Libye: les insurgés contrôlent Ajdabiya". 15 March 2011. Archived from the original on 16 March 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  14. ↑ "Rebels seize key Libyan towns". Sky News. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  15. ↑ "Libya rebels recapture key town". BBC News. 26 March 2011. Archived from the original on 27 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  16. ↑ "Four New York Times journalists missing in Libya". 16 March 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  17. ↑ "Libya: Gaddafi's Forces 'Attack Benghazi'". 17 March 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  18. ↑ "The Libyan Rebels' Next Battle, in Ajdabiya, Will Be Decisive". The Daily Beast . 14 March 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  19. ↑ Brown, Ben (26 March 2011). "Libya revolt: Rebels grab Ajdabiya from Gaddafi". BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 March 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  20. ↑ Black, Ian. "Libya's day of rage met by bullets and loyalists". The Guardian, 17 February 2011
  21. ↑ Spencer, Richard; Ramdani, Nabila. "Middle East crisis: Libyan protests move closer to Tripoli". The Daily Telegraph, 20 February 2011.
  22. ↑ Shadid, Anthony (15 March 2011). "Libyan Forces Rout Rebels as West's Effort for No-Flight Zone Stalls". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  23. ↑ "Libya Live Blog – 15 March". Al Jazeera Blogs. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  24. ↑ "Libya Live Blog – 16 March" . Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  25. ↑ Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in Arabic)
  26. ↑ "Gadhafi forces bombing Benghazi: witnesses". CBC News. 17 March 2011.
  27. ↑ "Rebels deny Gaddafi troops on Benghazi outskirts". Reuters Africa. Reuters. 17 March 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2011.
  28. ↑ "As it happened: Libya crisis". BBC News. 18 March 2011.
  29. ↑ McGreal, Chris (20 March 2011). "Coalition attacks wreak havoc on ground troops". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 22 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  30. ↑ "Coalition extending no fly zone over Libya". 9news.com. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  31. ↑ Bumiller, Elisabeth; Fahim, Kareem (22 March 2011). "U.S.-Led Assault Nears Goal in Libya". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  32. ↑ Lamloum, Imed (21 March 2011). "Kadhafi strongholds bombed as Misrata said overrun". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  33. 1 2 "Live Blog Libya – 22 March". Al Jazeera Blogs. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  34. ↑ "Battle for Ajdabiya". CNN. Archived from the original on 26 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  35. ↑ "Libya Live Blog – 23 March". Al Jazeera Blogs. Archived from the original on 23 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  36. ↑ "Strikes force Gadhafi back; NATO ships patrol sea". BostonHerald.com. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  37. ↑ MacIntyre, Donald; Sengupta, Kim (24 March 2011). "Tanks return after fleeing but air force is 'destroyed'". The Independent. London. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  38. 1 2 "Fight for Ajdabiya continues". Al Jazeera. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  39. ↑ "Situation critical in Ajdabiya says reporter". Euronews.net. 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  40. ↑ "Libya rebels prepare for new Ajdabiyah offensive". Khaleejtimes.com. 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  41. ↑ Simpson, John (25 March 2011). "Libya's Gaddafi 'arming volunteers'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  42. ↑ "Live Blog Libya – 25 March". Al Jazeera Blogs. Archived from the original on 25 March 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  43. ↑ "Libya rebels take Ajdabiya".
  44. ↑ "Libyan rebels enter Ajdabiya town". Al Jazeera English. 25 March 2011. Archived from the original on 31 March 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  45. ↑ Libya forces pull out from Ajdabiyah -official
  46. 1 2 "Live Blog Libya – 26 March". Al Jazeera Blogs. 26 March 2011. Archived from the original on 26 March 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
  47. ↑ "Video: Libyan Rebels Retake Brega And Ajdabiyah After Gaddafi Forces Flee Amid Coalition Airstrikes". Sky News. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
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.