2013 Benghazi conflict
| 2013 Benghazi conflict | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Post-civil war violence in Libya | ||||||
 Satellite image of Benghazi |
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| Belligerents | ||||||
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Government-sanctioned militias |
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| Commanders and leaders | ||||||
 Ali ZeidanFawzi Bukatef Amrajaa al-Mesheiti Salahadeen Bin Omran Mohammed al-Garabi Hakim Buhagir Ajmi al-Atiri |
Unknown | Unknown | ||||
| Strength | ||||||
| 5,000+ | Hundreds | Unknown | ||||
| Casualties and losses | ||||||
| 12 soldiers killed 1 navy colonel injured Abdelsalam al-Mosmary |
Property damage | |||||
| 32 civilians killed 100+ injured |
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Government-sanctioned militias
Islamists
The 2013 Benghazi conflict is a part of the aftermath of the Libyan civil war, that began after clashes erupted between protesters and militants from the Libya Shield brigade on 8 June 2013.
Since the Libyan Civil War that toppled the Muammar Gaddafi, there has been factional fighting occurring around Libya, in particular in Benghazi (where the first protests began in 2011). The city had been the scene of a number of attacks prior to these events, including some related to the ongoing factional fighting, as well as an attack against the U.S. consulate.
On 8 June, at least 31 people were killed and 100 wounded in clashes in Benghazi between protesters and a militia operating with Defence Ministry approval. Most of the dead were civilians, with only 5 soldiers and one militia member reported killed. and one was a militiaman.
On 15 June, In the early hours of 15 June, hundreds of plain-clothed gunmen attacked several security installations across the city, at one point even forcing members of the First Infantry Brigade to abandon parts of their base as they stormed the main gate and torched parts of the building. At least six Libyan soldiers were killed during the assault – four by sniper fire and two from stabbing wounds. All of the dead were members of an elite Libyan Army unit called Saaqa. Eleven people were injured during the attacks, including several assailants. Clashes were reported near the road leading to the airport, forcing its closure. Government reinforcements were reportedly sent from the capital Tripoli. The head of Benghazi's Counter Crime Agency has suggested that Qaddafi elements were in fact behind the attacks. Colonel Sulaiman Abu-Wishah told Benghazi Radio that two members of a Qaddaf Al-Dam sabotage group have been arrested. He claimed that the group was professional, its task to cause dissension and unrest, and that it was believed to be behind a number of other attacks in Benghazi. The members of the group were believed to be supporters of the former regime.
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Wikipedia