Western Libya campaign

Not to be confused with Western Desert campaign.
Western Libya campaign
Part of the Second Libyan Civil War

Above: Map showing the Libyan National Army's offensive and Government of National Accord's counterattack within western Libya
  Libyan National Army control
  Government of National Accord control
  Neutral area (Bani Walid)
(For a more detailed, up-to-date, interactive map, see here).
DateFirst phase: 4 April 2019 – 25 March 2020
(11 months and 3 weeks)
Second phase: 26 March – 5 June 2020
(2 months, 1 week and 2 days)
Location
Western Libya
Result

GNA victory[35]

Belligerents

Libya House of Representatives

Wagner Group[3][4][5]
 Sudan (RSF)[6]
Libya PFLL[7]
Supported by:
 United Arab Emirates[8][9][10][11]
 Russia[12]
 Egypt[10][13][14]
 Saudi Arabia[12]
 Israel (allegedly, denied by LNA)[15][16][17][18]
 France[19][11][20]
 Jordan[21]
 Syria[22]
 Iran (alleged)[23]

Libya Government of National Accord

Tripoli Protection Force[26]
Misrata militias[27]
Zawiya militias[26]
Libya Shield Force (alleged)[7]
Syrian opposition SNA (since Dec. 2019)[28]
Supported by:

 Turkey[29][30]
 Qatar[31]
 Italy[32][33][34]
Commanders and leaders
Libya Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar
(LNA supreme commander)
Libya Maj. Gen. Abdulrazek al-Nadoori[39]
(Chief of staff)
Libya Maj. Gen. Abdul Salam al-Hassi
(Senior commander)
Libya Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Mismari
(Senior commander)
 Libya Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj
(head of Presidential Council)
Libya Maj. Gen. Osama al-Juwaili
(joint operations room leader)
Libya Maj. Gen. Abdul Basset Marwan[40]
(Tripoli Military Region commander)
Libya Emad al-Tarabelsi[24]
(Capital security commander)
Libya Atef Braqeek
(Tripoli Protection Force commander)
Syrian opposition Abu Yaroub Al-Athari[41] †
(al-Wefaq militia Commander)
Units involved
See order of battle See order of battle
Strength

Libya 3,000[42]—30,000[43]
Russia 200–2,000[3][4][44]
Syria 3,000 (peak)[12][45]
Sudan 3,000[46]

United Arab Emirates unknown

Libya 5,000 total[42][47]

  • 3,000 (in Tripoli)
  • 2,000 (in Tripoli's surroundings)
Syrian opposition 13,000 (June 2020)[41]
Turkey 50 advisors[48]
Casualties and losses
Libya 513 killed
Libya 1 MiG-21MF[a][49] 1 AN-26 lost[50] 2 Il-76 destroyed 2 Mi-35 captured,[51][52] and 8 UAVs lost,[53]
5 Pantsir destroyed or captured[54]
Russia 10–35 PMCs killed[55][56]
6 soldiers killed (per GNA; disputed)[b]
Syria 1 killed[57]

Libya 940 killed (per LNA; 2019 only)[58]
Libya 3 Mirage F1, 5 L-39, 1 Il-78, 1 helicopter & 21 UAVs lost[59]
Syrian opposition 351[60]–500[61] killed, 27 captured[62]
Turkey 2 killed[63]

Italy 1 Italian MQ-9 Reaper UAV lost[64][65]
2,458+ killed overall (2,000+ combatants and 458 civilians)[66]
146,000 displaced[66]
United States 1 US MQ-9 Reaper UAV lost[65]
a In May 2020, GNA captured Al-Watiya Air Base and seized the remains of 2 Mirage F1 and 1 Su-22, but none of them were operational and mostly were used to make spare parts.[67]
b UAE announced the death of six soldiers in a car collision in Yemen. However, the GNA stated that they were killed by GNA airstrikes in Libya.[68][69][70]

The Western Libya campaign was a military campaign initiated on 4 April 2019 by the Operation Flood of Dignity (Arabic: عملية طوفان الكرامة) of the Libyan National Army (LNA), which represents the Libyan House of Representatives, to capture the western region of Libya and eventually the capital Tripoli held by the United Nations Security Council-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA regained control over all of Tripoli in June 2020 and the LNA forces withdrew from the capital, after fourteen months of fighting.[71]

The offensive resulted in over 2,468 dead.[66] It began on 4 April 2019,[72] 10 days before the Libyan National Conference for organising presidential and parliamentary elections in Libya had been planned to take place,[73] and five days after the first session of the 2019 Libyan local elections was held successfully.[74] As a result of the offensive, United Nations Support Mission in Libya postponed the forthcoming Libyan National Conference.[73]

War crimes and crimes against humanity that take place during the conflict are covered by the mandate of the International Criminal Court investigation in Libya under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970.[75][76]

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    ONE YEAR OF DESTRUCTIVE WAR IN LIBYA, UNSMIL RENEWS CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES AND UNITY TO COMBAT COVID-19
    Negotiated Solution in Libya Crucial as Foreign Interference Grows, Thousands Flee Homes, Secretary-General Warns Security Council, Stressing Time ‘Not on Our Side’
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