Factional violence in Libya (2011–14)

Factional violence in Libya
Part of the Libyan crisis (2011–present) (aftermath of the Libyan Civil War)
Militiamen in the streets of Tripoli after skirmishes, January 2012. Since the end of the 2011 Libyan Civil War, armed militias had clashed throughout the country.
Date 1 November 2011 – 16 May 2014 (2 years, 6 months, 2 weeks and 1 day) Location Libya Result Indecisive; Start of the Libyan Civil War (2014) Warfalla militias briefly seize control of Bani Walid; Bani Walid is retaken by government forces by November 2012 Attacks on foreign diplomatic missions in Benghazi and Tripoli by Islamist militias Several militias disbanded and routed by the government in western Libya. Kidnapping of Libyan Prime Minister (October 2013) Militias remain armed in eastern Libya. Two coup attempts by General Khalifa Belqasim Haftar in 2014 (2014 Libyan coup d'état attempt) Large scale collapse of government and threat of new civil war. Tripoli International Airport captured by Islamist militias
Belligerents
Libyan National Army Special Forces (Saiqa brigade) Libyan Air Force Libyan Navy Government-sanctioned local militias Supreme Security Committee	Various militias Gaddafi loyalists Toubou Front for the Salvation of Libya General Haftar forces: Zintan Brigade Brigade 93 Pro Haftar Libyan National Army factions Mashashya tribe (alleged) Katibat Al-Awfiyah brigade Al-Awfea brigade (alleged)	Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries Ansar Al-Sharia Brigades Libya Shield 1
Commanders and leaders
Col. Wanis Bukhamada (Special Forces and Benghazi commander)	General Khalifa Haftar	Salim Derby † Mohamed Ali al-Zahawi † Ahmed Abu Khattala (POW)
942–1,096 killed in 2011–2012 233 killed in 2014

Indecisive; Start of the Libyan Civil War (2014)

Libyan National Army

Government-sanctioned local militias

Various militias

Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries

Since the end of the 2011 Libyan Civil War, which overthrew Muammar Gaddafi, there has been violence involving various militias and the new state security forces. The violence has escalated into the current 2014 Libyan Civil War.

The militias include guerrillas, Islamists, and militias who fought against Gaddafi but refused to lay down their arms when the war ended in October 2011. According to some civilian leaders, these latter militias shifted from merely delaying the surrender of their weapons to actively asserting a continuing political role as "guardians of the revolution". Some of the largest, and most well-equipped militias are associated with Islamist groups now forming political parties. Before the official end of hostilities between loyalist and opposition forces, there were reports of sporadic clashes between rival militias, and vigilante revenge killings.

In September 2012, Islamists attacked the United States consulate building in Benghazi, killing the US ambassador and three others. This prompted a popular outcry against semi-legal militias that were still operating and resulted in the storming of several Islamist militia bases by protesters. A large-scale government crackdown followed on non-government sanctioned militias, with the Libyan Army raiding several now illegal militias' headquarters and ordering them to disband.

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Wikipedia