The Libyan National Army: assessment and mapping of the ground forces

The Libyan National Army: assessment and mapping of the ground forces
Version : October 2018
Number of pages : 13 (3200 words)

19,99€

More than four years after the split of the two governments that brought East and West Libya into a civil war and almost three years after the signing of the UN-brokered "Libyan Political Accord" (LPA) in Skhirat, Morocco, which has confirmed the House of Representatives (HoR) as an internationally recognized parliament in Libya, and institutionalized a Government of National Accord (GNA) with a Presidential Council (PC), Libya is still not a stabilized state and most warring factions are fragmented each with their own agenda.  The LPA was supposed to expire two years after a vote of confidence by the House of Representatives, but since the agreement has not yet been approved by the HoR, some consider it still in force. The armed wing of the HoR is the so-called Libyan National Army commanded by Marshal Khalifa Haftar. It is actually a group of militia around a regular army nucleus representing a force of around 25,000 men. It does not form a solid and coherent block. Each militia has its agenda and its ambitions.

L'Armée Nationale Libyenne : évaluation et cartographie des forces terrestres

L'Armée Nationale Libyenne : évaluation et cartographie des forces terrestres
Version : Octobre 2018
Nombre de pages : 13 (3470 mots)

19,99€

Plus de quatre ans après la scission des deux gouvernements qui a amené la Libye orientale et occidentale dans une guerre civile et près de trois ans après la signature de « l'Accord politique libyen » négocié par l'ONU (LPA) à Skhirat, au Maroc, qui a confirmé la Chambre des Représentants (HoR) en tant que parlement internationalement reconnu en Libye, et institutionnalisé un gouvernement d'accord national (GNA) avec un Conseil présidentiel (PC), la Libye n'est toujours pas un état stabilisé et la plupart des factions belligérantes sont fragmentées chacune d'entre elles ayant leur propre agenda. Le LPA était censé expirer expiré deux ans après un vote de confiance par la Chambre des représentants, mais l'accord n'ayant pas encore été approuvé par le HoR, certains considèrent qu’il est toujours en vigueur. Le bras armé du HoR est la soi-disant Armée Nationale Libyenne commandé par le Maréchal Khalifa Haftar. Elle n’est en fait qu’un regroupement de milices autour d’un noyau d’armée régulière représentant une force de 25 000 hommes environs. Elle ne forme pas un bloc solide et cohérent. Chaque milice a son agenda et ses ambitions.

Islamic State Surges in Libya

But Islamist attacks probably won't compell Libyan rivals to work together

On Aug. 23, 2017, nine soldiers from the Libyan National Army’s 131st Brigade — including its commander Ali Al Ghadbane — were killed at a checkpoint near Al Fugha between Sabha and Zillah in southwestern Libya. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The last attack by the terrorist group took place in May 2017, targeting a convoy of the Misrata militia’s 3rd Force. Since the end of August 2017, ISIS has stepped up its activity in the Sirte region.

Islamic State Surges in Libya

How Emirati/Egyptian air power turned Haftar's Libyan oil ports disaster to victory

On 14 March, General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army launched a counterattack against the fighters of the Saraya Defend Benghazi and the Petroleum Facilities Guard coalition, which had managed to take most of the coastal cities near the oil terminals 10 days earlier.

This lightning counter-offensive has left observers skeptical. How could an army have lost an entire region in a few days - and then recovered it so quickly?

How Emirati air power turned Haftar's Libyan oil ports disaster to victory

A new offensive in the Oil Crescent could reshuffle the cards in Libya

On March 3, 2017, fighters from Saraya Defend Benghazi — also known as Benghazi Defense Brigade, an Islamist militia group that formed in June 2016 to oppose the dominant Libyan National Army and its popular leader Gen. Khalifa Hafter — together with members of Ibrahim Jadhran’s Petroleum Facilities Guard and Misrata’s Al Marsa Brigade, attacked An Nawfaliya, Bin Jawad, Es Sider and Ras Lanuf in Libya’s Oil Crescent.

Their goal was to seize the oil terminals in those towns. And thus control Libya’s wealth. The attack has upended the Libyan civil war.

All Bets Are Off as a Surprise Offensive Roils the Libyan War - Libyan National Army oil facilities fall to lightning assault

Libyan National Army MiGs and helicopters blasted convoys attacking the Oil Crescent

On the night of Dec. 6 to 7, 2016, a convoy of around 150 vehicles left Al Jufrah in central Libya and headed toward the country’s sprawling Oil Crescent — specifically, its vital oil terminals. The various armed technicals belonged to the Saraya Defend Benghazi — also known as Benghazi Defense Brigade — an Islamist militia group that formed in June 2016 to oppose the dominant Libyan National Army and its popular leader Gen. Khalifa Haftar. The offensive came just a day after pro-government forces liberated the Islamic State stronghold of Sirte. Members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard — Ibrahim Jadhran’s own armed group — claimed to have joined the convoy, which split into two sections as it approached the Oil Crescent. Not long after, many of the vehicles were wrecked and in flames.

When Militants Attacked Libya’s Oil Region, Regime Aircraft Struck Back Hard

A Fierce Air War Over Libya’s Oil Fields Has Killed Innocent Civilians

While merciless - frequently intentional - bombardment by Assadist and Russian air forces in Syria, which is causing dozens of civilian casualties every day, is finally catching public attention in the West, there are now reports about similar attacks being flown in Libya too. Contrary to Syria, where it is crystal clear who is flying such air strikes, the situation in Libya is quite murky.

On 20 September 2016, unidentified aircraft struck a leisure park at Nina Agricultural Project in Sokna, in Al-Jufrah district, 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Sirte, killing at least seven people and injuring up to twenty others. The two armed factions, the Libyan National Army (LNA) and militia forces affiliated to the Government of National Accord (GNA), denied involvement and accused each others of the strike.

A Fierce Air War Over Libya’s Oil Fields Has Killed Innocent Civilians

"Libyan airstrikes" situation update 19 - 30 September 2016

Two major events can be noticed during this period : the loss of Libyan National Army Air Force (LNA / AF) Mi-8T serial number '1432' (with three crew members and three passenger killed) and the death of civilian in an airstrike near al Jufrah by unidentified aircrafts.

"Libyan airstrikes" situation update 1 - 18 September 2016

The first two weeks of September saw an increassing use of cluster bombs by Libyan National Army Air Force in Benghazi and the Oil Crescent which was captured between 11 and 13. No airstrikes were reported by Misrata Operation Room which is still supported by US bombings since 1st August. 

Libyan MiG-23ML has dropped two RBK-250s cluster bombs in Oil Crescend area today

Since the seize of oil terminal headquarters of the Oil Crescent between Saturday and Monday and Sidra and Ras Lanuf oil terminal towns from the central region’s Petroleum Facilities Guards (PFG), the Libyan National Army Air Force (LNA/AF) engaged its fighter jets for armed reconnaissance sortie in support of the ground forces to secure the oil area. This morning, the MiG-23ML serial '26453' was engaged in such missions in Brega, Ras Lanuf, Sidra and south of the ground forces after the port of Sidra. The aircraft was loaded with two SAMP French made bombs and two RBK-250s cluster bombs. Such munition were already used on Mi-8Ts the last weekend and on MiG-21s in Mid-August.

Libyan National Army still loads its Mi-8s with cluster bombs

New photos published last weekend confirmed that the Libyan National Army  Air Force (LNA/AF) still uses cluster bombs. The photos below show one Mi-8T helicopter loaded with a RBK-250 under the right stub wing on Saturday, September 10, evening. The same night, LNA/AF media confirmed that one of its Mi-8s carried out air strike near the Acyl resort targeting supposed concentrations of IS and armed allied militias. This is the seventh time that the use of cluster munitions is reported in Libya.

Libyan National Army Air Force has deployed MiG-21s to Ra's Lanuf Airport to carry out airstrikes last year

In January 2015, the battle for Libya’s two largest oil ports at the towns of al-Sidr and Ras Lanuf was going on between Libya Dawn militia and Libyan National Army. On December 13th, 2014, Libya Dawn forces, drawn mostly from Misratan militias, launched “Operation Sunrise” to wrest the terminals from Jathran and his Dignity backers. The fighting shut down the terminals’ operations. On December 25th, a rocket struck a storage tank, igniting an inferno that blotted the sky with thick black smoke. The blaze was subdued only after nine days. On 28th, LNA AF staged airstrikes on Misrata, targeting the port, an air force academy near the airport and Libya's biggest steel plant located in western city. On 30th, LNA Forces down a helicopter from Libya Dawn as it prepared to land at a military base near Sirte Airport, after it had taken part with other aircrafts in air raids on al-Sidr oil terminal (1) (2) The day after, another aircraft belonged to Fajir Libya militia was forced down after a similar attack on the oil terminal (3). On January 5th, 2015, LNA AF hit a Greek-owned tanker chartered by Libya's National Oil Corporation off the coast of Darna. To perform all of these airstrikes, the LNA AF has deployed MiG-21s and MiG-23s close to the battle at Benina AB. According to the video below, it seems that some "Fishbed" were also deployed to Ra's Lanuf Airport very close to the oil ports. As already written on this blog, LNA forces are assisted by Agusta A109 helicopters since a long time for coastal monitoring and assisting bombing missions. The A109 serial number "5A-DTJ" can be seen as it overflew the runway, together with MiG-21bis serial number "800" and MiG-21MF serial number "22" or "27".