Battle of Sirte (2016)

For other uses, see Battle of Sirte.
Battle of Sirte (2016)
Part of the Second Libyan Civil War, the American intervention in Libya and the Military intervention against ISIL

Map of the GNA's advances in Sirte from 16 June to 6 December 2016
Date12 May – 6 December 2016
(6 months, 3 weeks and 3 days)
Location
Sirte District, Libya
31°12′26″N 16°35′30″E / 31.2072°N 16.5917°E / 31.2072; 16.5917
Result

GNA victory[8][9]

Belligerents

Libya Government of National Accord

United States United States
(since 1 Aug. 2016)

 United Kingdom

 Italy

  • Special Forces[6]

 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

Commanders and leaders

Libya Fayez al-Sarraj[10]
(Head of Unity Government)
Libya Colonel Al-Mahdi Al-Barghathi[11]
(GNA Minister of Defense)
Libya Rida Issa[12]
(GNA navy commander)

Libya Ibrahim Baitulmal
(Head of Misrata military council)[1]
Libya Ismail Shukri
(Head of military intelligence in Misrata)[1]
Libya Abdul Adeem al-Maadani †[13]
(Misrata Brigades senior commander)
Libya Mohammed Issa[14]
(field commander)		 Abu Hudhayfah al-Muhajir[7]
(ISIL governor of Wilayat Tarabulus)
Abu Habib Jazrawi †[15]
(ISIL leader in Libya)
Abu Omar al-Tunessi †[16]
(ISIL commander of Sirte)
Hamid Malouqa al-Zliteni †[17]
(ISIL top commander)
Hassan Kara †[18]
(ISIL field commander)
Yusuf Mulaytan †[19]
(ISIL commander)
Faiez Attiya †[19]
(ISIL commander)
Qusai al-Jaili †[20]
(ISIL commander)
Mirghani Badawi al-Bashir †[21]
(ISIL commander and preacher)
Hassan al-Karami †[1]
(ISIL preacher)
Strength
6,000 fighters
(in August 2016)[22]		 2,000–2,500 fighters[23][24]
Casualties and losses
Libya 740 killed and 4,000+ wounded (GNA claim)[25]
5,000 killed or wounded[7] (ISIL claim)
United States 1 killed (non-combat)[26]		 2,500 killed[27] and 87+ captured[28] (GNA claim)
37 civilians killed by air-strikes[29]
35,000 people displaced
(as of July 2016)[30]

The Battle of Sirte during the Second Libyan Civil War started in the spring of 2016, in the Sirte District of Libya, between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the loyalist forces of the Government of National Accord (GNA) backed by the United States. ISIL forces had captured Sirte one year earlier, during the previous battle. The conflict for Sirte was described as ISIL's "last stand" in Libya.[31]

The latter portion of this battle was concurrent with the Battle of Mosul against ISIL in Iraq, with the Raqqa campaign by the Syrian Democratic Forces on ISIL's de facto capital in Syria, and with the Battle of al-Bab in northern Syria.

  1. ^ a b c d "Libyan forces prepare for last push against Islamic State in Sirte". Reuters. 31 August 2016. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  2. ^ Yan, Holly. "US launches airstrikes on ISIS targets in Libya". CNN. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  3. ^ US 6th Fleet Public Affairs, US Naval Forces Europe-Africa. "From Libya to Syria, Iraq, US Navy Fights ISIL from the Med". Navy.mil. Archived from the original on 7 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Marine Harriers Strike ISIS Targets in Libya from USS Wasp". 3 August 2016. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  5. ^ Seck, Hope Hodge (23 August 2016). "Marine SuperCobra Helicopters Join ISIS Fight Over Libya". Military.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  6. ^ "Italy Reportedly Sends Special Forces to Libya". Defensenews.com. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  7. ^ a b c Joscelyn, Thomas (7 December 2016). "Pentagon: Islamic State has lost its safe haven in Sirte, Libya". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  8. ^ "After the liberation of Sirte: What's next for Libya?". 20 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  9. ^ "AP Explains: What next after the downfall of IS in Sirte?". Fox News. 7 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  10. ^ "Head of Libya's Unity Government visits Sirte". TVC News. 2 September 2016. Archived from the original on 24 September 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  11. ^ Norbrook, Nicholas. Libyan army gains ground against IS in Sirte Archived 2016-06-28 at the Wayback Machine. The Africa Report. Published 22 June 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference navy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference al-Maadani was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Westcott, Tom (24 September 2016). "Islamic State deploys female snipers in desperate bid to hold Libya's Sirte". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  15. ^ "Islamic State looks to regroup in Libya after losing Sirte". Reuters. December 9, 2016.
  16. ^ "ISIL Commander Abu Omar Al-Tunessi Killed in Libya". Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  17. ^ "Top ISIS Commander Killed in Sirte". 6 June 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  18. ^ "Libya's jihadist challenge to last beyond Sirte defeat". Reuters. 19 August 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  19. ^ a b "Sirte terrorists caught trying to swim away and suicide video emerges". Libya Herald. 4 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  20. ^ "Mastermind of escape of US diplomat assassins killed in Libya". Sudan Tribune. 2 August 2016. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  21. ^ "Leading Sudanese Jihadist killed in Libya". Sudan Tribune. 8 July 2016. Archived from the original on 9 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  22. ^ "Libya forces de-mine and clear Sirte after liberation from Isis militants". 11 August 2016. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  23. ^ Cite error: The named reference battle was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  24. ^ "How IS is surrounded in Sirte". 22 June 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  25. ^ 740 Libyan govt fighters killed in fight against IS in Sirte: Spokesman Xinhua 19 December 2016
  26. ^ "Navy Sailor dies while deployed on Norfolk-based USS Wasp". 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  27. ^ "Al-Ghasri: 2500 IS radicals were killed in Sirte battle". Libya Observer. 19 December 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  28. ^ 15 captured (12 May–31 Aug.),[1] Archived 2019-06-24 at the Wayback Machine 2 captured (12 Oct.),[2] Archived 2017-07-06 at the Wayback Machine 14 captured (21–22 Nov.),[3] Archived 2017-06-29 at the Wayback Machine 13 captured (3–4 Dec.),[4] Archived 2016-12-06 at the Wayback Machine[5] Archived 2016-12-05 at the Wayback Machine 34 captured (5 Dec.),[6] Archived 2017-07-23 at the Wayback Machine 9 captured (6 Dec.),[7] Archived 2016-12-08 at the Wayback Machine total of 87 reported captured
  29. ^ "The Last Days of ISIS' Libya Stronghold". The Daily Beast. July 5, 2018.
  30. ^ "Sirte displacement reaches 90,000: Protection and WASH needs on the rise" (PDF).
  31. ^ Cite error: The named reference last stand was invoked but never defined (see the help page).