"Libyan airstrikes" situation update 9 - 20 July 2016

This period was characterized by the lost of one LNA AF Mi-17 from al-Abraq air base on 17th July killing three crew members (pilot Capt Omar Drissi, co-pilot Boubacar Omar al-Hassi and air engineer Fathi Warfali. The Sherkasi’s DBB (Defend Benghazi Brigades) Militia (also named Saraya Defend Benghazi or SDB) claimed to have down a Mi-35 'Hind' with a SA-7, but pictures of the wreckage published on the social media show clearly a Mi-17.

On the other hand, DBB Militia announced the death of French soldiers in this crash. On 20th, French Defense Minister confirmed that three militaries of DGSE Service Action were killed in an helicopter crash without specifying, however, if it was in the same accident.

LNA AF operations

In the early morning hours on Saturday 9th July, Mi-17 of the Thunder team implemented a series of heavy air raids targeted concentrations and weapons stores in the city of Derna on port, Court and Turkish buildings. MiG-21 serial number '404' performed combat sorties destroying seven tanks. On 10th, MiG-23ML and BN, together with MiG-21bis serial number '404' and '614'), Mi-35 and Mi-17 helicopters crushed Brigades terrorists south of Ajdabiya city.

On 11th July, concentrated airstrikes were carried out on a concentration of terrorist militias in al- Sabri axis. The result of this bombing was the death of one of the leaders of terrorist groups called Ahmed Oqaili nicknamed "Abu Faruq Libyan". The same day, LNA AF published photos showing western bombs being developed for being used on Russian made aircrafts and helicopters.

On 12th July, fighter jets of LNA Air Force carried out a focused series of air strikes in the cities of Benghazi, Ajdabiya and Derna :
- MiG-21bis serial numbers '614' and '404' targeted objectives in Ajdabiya
- MiG-23ML serial number '26453' twice in Ganfouda
- MiG-23BN serial '8985' performed heavy air strikes targeting militants concentrations in the western entrance to the city of Derna.

On 13th July, Mi-17 of the Thunder team targeted several sites in the region of al-Glidaih :
- Ammunition store, three tanks and three cars.
- Four cars, one truck with ammunition, a police car that may have been stolen from the Sultan area.
- House with ammunition and several cars in front of it

All target goals were perimeter al-Glidaih region and was targeting in stages starting at 4 a.m. until 7 a.m. One MiG-21 destroyed a small vehicle loaded with fighters and weapons near the city of Benghazi. Reconnaissance flights were carried out by the armed fighter jets over areas that fell under the control of terrorist militias in Ajdabiya, Benghazi and Derna.

In the early morning hours of Thursday, July 14th, LNA Mi-8 and MiG-23ML targeted several places located in the regions of al-Glidaih : mechanisms, ammunition dumps, rocket launchers and tanks belonging to SDB forces were destroyed. MiG-23BN targeted locations and concentrations in Derna city.

In the early morning hours of 15th July, Mi-17 of the Thunder Team targeted several selective targets in the area of al-Glidaih, In a desperate attempted escape by the SDB, a convoy of twenty cars was destroyed by MiG-21 and Mi-35. Mi-35 also performed earlier heavy air raids targeted the locations and concentrations of ISIS in Sabri axis.

GNA affiliated Air Force operations

Despite the very little communication on air strikes this period from GNA affiliated Air Force, many were performed each day. On 10th July, for the first time, Mi-35 serial number '918' used guided missiles in the battlefield against ISIS militants in Sirte. On 15th, one ammunition store was destroyed in Sirte by this 'Hind' helicopter.