Battle of Ras Lanuf

Battle of Ras Lanuf
Part of Libyan Civil War
Date4–5 March 2011 (First phase)[1]
6–12 March 2011 (Second phase)[2]
Location
Ras Lanuf, Libya
30°28′44″N 18°33′58″E / 30.47889°N 18.56611°E / 30.47889; 18.56611
Result First phase: Anti-Gaddafi victory
Second phase: Pro-Gaddafi victory
Belligerents

Libya Anti-Gaddafi forces

Libya Armed forces of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Commanders and leaders
Libya Abdul Fatah Younis Libya Muammar Gaddafi
Strength
Saaiqa 36 Battalion[3]
500-1,000 volunteers[4]		 3,000 (First phase)[5]
four battalions (Second phase)[6]
Casualties and losses
16-26 rebels killed (First phase)[7][8]
20 rebels killed (Second phase/bombardment)[9]
15 killed, 65 missing (Second phase/ground fighting)[10]
20 mutinous loyalists executed[11]
Total dead & missing:
136-146 killed or missing
Total captured: 1,500 (Government claim)[12]		 2[13]-25[7] soldiers killed, 2 pilots killed, 1 Su-24MK shot down[14] (First phase)
Unknown (Second phase)
Battle of Ras Lanuf is located in Libya
Battle of Ras Lanuf
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Location within Libya

The Battle of Ras Lanuf was a two-phase battle in early to mid-March 2011 during the Libyan Civil War between forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and those loyal to the National Transitional Council. Both forces sought control of the town of Ras Lanuf. The first phase of confrontation followed two days after the First Battle of Brega which occurred in the town Brega, roughly 130 kilometres (81 mi) to the east of Ras Lanuf.[15][16] After conquering the town on 4 March, the rebels pushed further west to attack Sirte but they were driven back by government forces and on 11 March, government troops reconquered most of Ras Lanuf.[17][18][19]

  1. ^ "Libya: Gaddafi forces push rebels from Ras Lanuf". BBC News. 10 March 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  2. ^ "Libya: Gaddafi troops take rebel oil town". BBC. 12 March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  3. ^ "Gadhafi showers strategic oil port with rockets". Huffington Post. Ras Lanuf. Associated Press. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  4. ^ Schemm, Paul; Michael, Maggie (5 March 2011). "Libya forces try to halt rebel move toward capital". USA Today. Bin Jawad. Associated Press. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Gadhafi forces battle rebels as 37 killed in Libya". USA Today. Tripoli. Associated Press. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  6. ^ Garcia-Navarro, Lourdes (10 March 2011). "Libyan Rebels Driven Out Of Strategic Coastal City". National Public Radio. Ras Lanuf. Associated Press. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Gaddafi forces accused of 'massacre' as battles rage". Channel NewsAsia. Bin Jawad. Agence France-Presse. 6 March 2011. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  8. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D.; Fahim, Kareem (5 March 2011). "In Libya, Both Sides Gird for Long War as Civilian Toll Mounts". The New York Times. Tripoli. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  9. ^ Chew, Amy (10 March 2011). "Oil-rich town of Ras Lanuf a major battleground". The Malaysian Star. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011.
  10. ^ "Libya rebels appeal for aid as Kadhafi troops advance". The Bangkok Post. Agence France-Presse. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  11. ^ Daragahi, Borzou; Therolf, Garrett (5 March 2011). "In Libya, Kadafi's forces launch assault on rebel-held city". Los Angeles Times. Tripoli and Cairo. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  12. ^ "Libya Live Blog - March 10". Al Jazeera. 10 March 2011. Archived from the original on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  13. ^ Pfeiffer, Tom; Dziadosz, Alexander (5 March 2011). "Death toll rises in east from fighting, blast". Reuters. Benghazi and Ajdabiya. Archived from the original on 8 March 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  14. ^ "Gunfire rings out in Libyan capital". CNN. Tripoli. 5 March 2011. Archived from the original on 22 March 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  15. ^ Chulov, Martin; Beaumont, Peter; Tisdall, Simon (4 March 2011). "Libya: Fierce day of raids and clashes signals shift towards civil war". The Guardian. Benghazi and Tripoli. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  16. ^ "Kämpfe in Libyen: Rebellen gegen Regime" [Fighting in Libya: rebels against regime]. Der Spiegel (in German). 4 March 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2011.
  17. ^ "Gaddafi loyalists launch offensive". Al Jazeera. 10 March 2011. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  18. ^ Hill, Evan (10 March 2011). "Rebel push stalls outside Ras Lanuf". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  19. ^ "Gaddafi forces enter key oil port". News 24. Brega. Reuters. 11 March 2011. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2011.