LIBYE – Risques de conflagration dans le Croissant pétrolier

Malgré l’expulsion de l’État islamique (EI) en Libye de Syrte et Benghazi en 2016 déjà, le groupe terroriste a commencé à se réorganiser et a pu attaquer à la fois l’Armée nationale libyenne (ANL – fidèle à l’homme fort de l’est du pays, le maréchal Khalifa Haftar, qui règne à Benghazi) et les milices de Misrata. En mai 2017, le groupe a pris pour cible un convoi appartenant à la Troisième Force de Misrata (une milice controversée soupçonnée de crimes de guerre lors du « massacre de Brak al-Shati », base aérienne du sud-libyen où, le 18 mai 2017, la Troisième Force tua 134 personnes dans les rangs de l’ANL et parmi les civils, plusieurs militaires ayant été tout simplement exécutés).

LIBYE – Risques de conflagration dans le Croissant pétrolier

Despite the expulsion of the Islamic State (IS) in Libya from Sirte and Benghazi the past year, the group started to reorganize and was able to attack both Libya National Army and Misrata militias. In May 2017, the terrorist group targeted a convoy belonging to the Misrata Third Force, a controversial militia suspected of war crimes in the so-called “Brak al-Shati massacre” the same month by killing 134 people in LNA ranks, and among civilians some of them simply executed.

LIBYA – Risks of a conflagration in the Oil Crescent

ISIS Exploits Local Conflict and Moves Back Into Libya

After local forces booted the Libyan branch of Islamic State from Sirte and Benghazi in 2016 and 2017, the terror group reorganized and launched counterattacks targeting both the Libyan National Army and that regime’s rival, the Government of National Accord and associated Misrata militias.

But ISIS’s survival in the region has not motivated the competing regimes in Libya to set aside their differences. An already complex conflict could grow more complex as ISIS again mobilizes in a war-torn country that hasn’t had a single national government since 2011.

ISIS Exploits Local Conflict and Moves Back Into Libya - Rival regimes are too busy fighting each other to oppose the militants

One of the first African Mirage 5 pilots made his ultimate flight

Famous Congolese pilot Col. Jean Louis M’pele M’pele (on the left on the photo above), who flew for the Zairian air force, passed away on Nov. 12, 2017. M’pele was one of the first African pilots to fly the French-made Dassault Mirage 5.

Zaire, now called Democratic Republic of Congo, was only the second country in Africa – after South Africa with the Mirage III – to purchase the Dassault delta-wing fighter jet. But the Mach-two plane wasn’t well-suited to the Central African theater and its weather, and never really met Zaire’s needs.

Jean Louis M’pele M’pele Flew Congo’s Hot-Rod French Fighter

My publication in November 2017

Ce mois-ci, je contribue au n°132 du magazine "Défense & Sécurité International" avec une analyse sur le bilan et les effets de la campagne aérienne de la coalition arabe au Yémen. Il fait suite à un premier article publié dans le n° 119 de Novembre 2015 qui présentait un état des lieux des opérations après six mois de campagne.

This month, I have contributed to Issue No. 132 of "Défense & Sécurité International" magazine with an analysis of the results and effects of the aérial campaign of the Arab coalition in Yemen. It follows a first article published in Issue No. 119 of November 2015 which presented an inventory of the coalition operations after six months of campaign.

New massacre in Libya raises tension between Libyan factions

On Nov. 10, 2017, 28 people were found shot dead southwest of the Libyan capital in Wershafana area. Among the victims were soldiers from the Libyan National Army, one of the main regimes competing for power in the country.

The National Human Rights Commission in Libya called on the Libyan authorities to investigate the massacre. The commission claimed the killings occurred after troops from the Government of National Accord — the LNA’s rival — stormed the Wershafana area.

Some of the bodies reportedly showed signs of torture.

Rival Libyan Regimes Are Busy Slaughtering Each Other - More evidence of mass-killings

Chinese made laser guided artillery shell used in Libya

On Nov. 5, 2017, the website Libya Times published on social media photos of the remnants of an unexploded guided artillery projectile, but misidentified it as a U.S.-made Excalibur.

War Is Boring identified the munition as a Chinese GP1 guided 155-millimeter artillery munition — a licensed copy of the Russian 30F39 Krasnopol guided shell.

Libya Times reported that the shell was fired on Nov. 1 near Wearshafana, on the outskirts of Tripoli, by forces loyal to Osama Al Juwaili as they attacked the Fourth Brigade led by Brig. Bashir Najih.

Somebody’s Popping Off Laser-Guided Shells in Libya

Iraqi 9th Fighter Squadron has now 21 F-16C/Ds in its fleet

On November 2nd, 2017, Iraqi Air Force's 9th Fighter Squadron took delivery of a new batch of three F-16Cs increasing to twenty one the total of Vipers in service on Iraqi territory. The first four F-16C/Ds arrived in Iraq on July 13th, 2015. Four days before, two single-seater (serial numbers 1607 and 1610), and two two-seaters (serial numbers 1601 and 1604) took off from Tucson and landed at Lajes in the Azores the same day. They landed at Balad AB on July 13th where they joined the new 9th Fighter Squadron. Two months later, they carried out their first combat missions against Islamic State militants. Twenty one aircraft is now enough to sustain intensive operations against ISIS.