Opération Harmattan

Part of 2011 military intervention in Libya

Remains of three Palmaria heavy howitzers of the Gaddafi forces destroyed by French airplanes at the south-western outskirts of Benghazi on 19 March 2011

Date	19 March 2011 – 31 March 2011
Location	Libya
Result	Decisive French and NATO Victory/Effective no-fly zone established, Operations handed over to NATO Operation Unified Protector

Belligerents

France

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Commanders and leaders

Pierre-François Forissier

Muammar Gaddafi
(De facto Commander-in-Chief)
Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr †
(Minister of Defense)
Khamis al-Gaddafi †
(Khamis Brigade Commander)

Ali Sharif al-Rifi
(Air Force Commander)

Strength

See deployed forces

See Libyan Armed Forces

Casualties and losses

None

Multiple tanks, aircraft, artillery units and ground targets destroyed

Unknown, unverified claim by Gaddafi-controlled Libyan state media of 48 civilians killed, 150 wounded as a result of all UN operations
40 civilians killed (in Tripoli; Vatican claim)

Muammar Gaddafi
(De facto Commander-in-Chief)
Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr †
(Minister of Defense)
Khamis al-Gaddafi †
(Khamis Brigade Commander)

Opération Harmattan is the codename for the French participation in the 2011 military intervention in Libya. It is named for the Harmattan, which are hot dry winds that blow over the Sahara, mostly between November and March. The United States' counterpart to this is Operation Odyssey Dawn, the Canadian counterpart is Operation Mobile and the British counterpart is Operation Ellamy. The no-fly zone was proposed during the Libyan Civil War to prevent government forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi from carrying out air attacks on anti-Gaddafi forces. Several countries prepared to take immediate military action at a conference in Paris on 19 March 2011.

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Wikipedia