Timeline of the 2011 Libyan Civil War and military intervention (16 August – 23 October)

Main article: 2011 Libyan civil war

Map of Libya

• Cities controlled by pro-Gaddafi forces • Cities controlled by anti-Gaddafi forces • Ongoing fighting/unclear situation

The 2011 Libyan civil war began on 15 February 2011 as a civil protest and later evolved into a widespread uprising. On 25 February, most of Libya was reported to be under the control of the Libyan opposition and not the government of Muammar al-Gaddafi. Gaddafi remained in control of the cities of Tripoli, Sirte and Sabha. By 15 March, however, Gaddafi's forces had retaken more than half a dozen lost cities. Except for most of Cyrenaica and a few Tripolitania cities (such as Misrata) the majority of cities had returned to Gaddafi government control.

On 17 March, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution which authorized member states "to take all necessary measures… to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamhariya, including Benghazi, while excluding an occupation force". Following the implementation of a Libyan no-fly zone, the Battle of Ajdabiya and the Second Battle of Benghazi, the rebels recovered all territory lost in the Gaddafi loyalist offensive. However, due to the bulk of their forces comprising of armed civilians lacking both leadership and communication, they quickly fell into disarray and were forced into retreat.

With NATO attacks increasing in both severity and frequency, numerous defections amongst Gaddafi's military and political elite, and steadily increasing support from the international community, the opposition was able to make limited gains towards the end of May. After being besieged since February, opposition forces had pushed loyalist forces out of Misrata and into its outskirts. Towards the end of May and early June, over a hundred military officers and soldiers defected as well as Libya's Ambassador to the European Union and Shukri Ghanem, world-renowned oil executive and one of Gaddafi's inner circle. By the end of the first week of June, the opposition took several towns in the west, including the strategic city of Yafran, while reports of protests and skirmishes within Gaddafi-controlled borders appeared to be increasing.

As of 18 June, out of Libya's 22 districts, 12 were under Gaddafi government control, 6 were under opposition control, and 4 were contested territories (see map in information box at right).

Overview map of Libya. The red areas are in the hands of the rebels, and the green areas are in the hands of the Gaddafi government.

Overview map of developments at the Gulf of Sidra. Dates for changes of hand of individual towns are given in red (rebel offensive) and green (government offensive).

Overview map of developments in Tripolitania. Dates for changes of hand of individual towns are given in red (rebel offensive) and green (government offensive).

Overview map of developments in Misrata.

Early phase (15–26 February)

15 February

• In the evening approximately 200 people began demonstrating in front of the police headquarters in Benghazi following the arrest of human-rights activist Fathi Terbil. They were joined by others later who totaled between 500 to 600 protesters. The protest was broken up violently by police, causing as many as forty injuries among the protesters.
• In Al Bayda and Az Zintan, hundreds of protesters called for "the end of the regime" and set fire to police and security buildings. In Az Zintan, the protesters set up tents in the town centre.

16 February

• Protests continued in Benghazi, where hundreds of protesters gathered at Maydan al-Shajara before security services tried to disperse the crowd using water cannons. After clashes between the two groups, the police left. Al-Yawm estimated a crowd of more than 1,500 people attempting to storm the internal security building in Al Bayda. The protesters set fire to two cars and burnt down the headquarters of the traffic police. In the ensuing clashes with police six people died and three were injured. In Al-Quba, more than 400 protesters over a wide range of ages set fire to the police station. Protests were also reported in Darnah and Az Zintan, though there were no injuries.
• Pro-government rallies of many dozens of Gaddafi supporters and Tripolitanian people also took place.
• Reportedly as a response to the demonstrations, Libya released 110 members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group from prison on 16 February.

17 February: Day of Revolt

• Libyans called for a "Day of Revolt." The National Conference for the Libyan Opposition stated that "all" groups opposed to Gaddafi both within Libya and in exile planned the protests in memory of the demonstrations in Benghazi on 17 February 2006 that were initially against the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons, but which turned into protests against Gaddafi.
• In Benghazi, the government released thirty prisoners from jail, armed them and paid them to fight against protesters. Several demonstrators were killed by snipers and gunfire from helicopters. The Evening Standard and Al Jazeera English estimated that fourteen people were killed. The latter reported that an eyewitness saw six unarmed protesters shot dead by police. The BBC News reported that "at least 15 people" were killed in the clashes. Furthermore, .50 calibre sniper ammunition was used against protesters.
• Libya al-Youm reported that four people were shot dead by sniper fire in Al Bayda and a Libyan human-rights group reported thirteen people had been killed. In Ajdabiya and Darnah at least ten and six protesters were killed by police, respectively. Protests also took place across Tripoli and in Zintan, where a number of government buildings including a police station were set on fire.

18 February

• Thousands of anti-government protesters gathered in front of the Benghazi courthouse. According to the BBC News, a "doctor at Benghazi's Jalla hospital" told them that he had "seen 15 bodies – all dead from gunshot wounds" by the time he left the hospital "in the early hours of [the day]". Police and army personnel later withdrew from the city after being overwhelmed by protesters. Some army personnel also joined the protesters; they then seized the local radio station. In Al Bayda, unconfirmed reports indicated that the local police force and riot-control units joined the protesters. Two police officers who were accused of shooting protesters were hanged by protesters.
• According to a local activist, protesters in Al Bayda succeeded to capture its military airbase, and then "executed 50 African mercenaries and two Libyan conspirators". He also claimed that other "conspirators were executed" in Derna by burning down a police station, where they were locked up in cells.
• The Libyan government began hiring mercenaries, mostly from Chad, to support its own forces. It was reported that "they were paid for 5,000 (Dinars) and the latest model cars just to get rid of demonstrators", according to inside sources. Twelve people were killed on the Giuliana Bridge in Benghazi when mercenaries opened fire.
• The Libyan newspaper Quryna reported that about 1,000 non-political prisoners had escaped from a Benghazi prison. A security source told Agence France-Presse that four inmates were shot dead during a breakout attempt in Tripoli.
• The Libyan government initially restricted access to the Internet in Libya for several hours, but later imposed a more comprehensive and sustained blackout.

19 February

Opposition protests outside the White House, Washington, D.C., on 19 February

• Widespread protests continued for another day. Demonstrators in Benghazi had reportedly taken control of Benina International Airport early in the day.
• The opposition warned civilians of a massacre by the government, unless the international community applied pressure. Witnesses in Libya have reported helicopters firing into crowds of anti-government protesters. The army withdrew from the city of Al Bayda. Human Rights Watch and the Libyan newspaper Quryna said thousands of demonstrators had poured out onto the streets in Benghazi and other eastern cities on 18 February, a day after the clashes in which 49 people were killed, and that some protests were still continuing. Artillery, helicopter gunships and antiaircraft missile launchers were used to kill protesters. Security forces reportedly opened fire at a funeral in Benghazi on Saturday, killing at least fifteen people and injuring scores more. The funeral was to honour protesters killed by security forces during the on-going protests.
• A doctor from Benghazi's Al-Jalah Hospital said staff there had received fifteen bodies and were treating numerous people following the shootings at the funeral. "This is not a well-equipped hospital and these injuries come in waves," he said. "All are very serious injuries, involving the head, the chest and the abdomen. They are bullet injuries from high-velocity rifles." The hospital counted forty-four deaths in three days, and was struggling to treat the wounded. The residents of Benghazi told Al Jazeera that at least 200 people had died, while the Human Rights Watch put the countrywide death toll at a "conservative" 104 on the 19th. A bank was looted in Benghazi.
• Anti-Gaddafi protests were also reported in Misrata, where thousands of people took part in peaceful protests. They were demonstrating against state brutality and censorship, rather than calling for a change in government.
• Both pro- and anti-government protests broke out in other major cities, including Al Bayda, Derna, Tobruk and Misrata.
• Several hundred government supporters and party activists took to the streets in large numbers, and security forces prevented large demonstrations against Gaddafi's 42-year-old regime. A bank was wrecked and looted in Tripoli.
• According to figures compiled by Agence France-Presse from local sources, at least forty-one people had been killed since demonstrations first started on 15 February. The toll excludes two policemen, newspapers said, who had been hung in Al Bayda on 18 February. Human Rights Watch, citing phone interviews with hospital staff and eye witnesses, said that security forces had killed more than eighty anti-Gaddafi protesters in eastern Libya. Opposition groups later put the number of dead at over 120. The residents of Benghazi told Al Jazeera that at least 200 people had died while Human Rights Watch put the countrywide death toll at a "conservative" 104. The security forces (troops and police) of Benghazi were in their barracks while the city was in a state of civil mutiny.
• Mohamed Abdulmalek, the chairman of the human-rights group Libya Watch, commented that the delay of protests in the west was due to the heavy presence of Libya's State Security Forces and secret police were out there and "not because the people did not want to go out".
• Former UK Foreign Secretary and Chairman of the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee Sir Malcolm Rifkind told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that the protests across the Middle East were resembling the anti-Communist/pro-democracy events in Eastern Europe of 1989. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "deeply concerned" by the "unacceptable violence" used against protesters.

20 February

• Protests escalated with residents also reporting small protests beginning in Tripoli, indicating a widening of the unrest from the eastern half of Libya into Gaddafi's center of power. Hospitals confirmed that they had run out of supplies and doctors estimated the death toll in Benghazi to be between 200 and 300. After the people of Benghazi beat back the police and captured several key military barracks local military brigades joined the protesters. By this time, protesters in Benghazi numbered in the tens of thousands, possibly in the hundreds of thousands. Reports also emerged of pro-Gaddafi militia by the Elfedeel Bu Omar compound "being butchered by angry mobs." Al Jazeera said that protesters were in control of the city as government security forces fled to the airport. Further military units were reported to have defected in order to protect protesters. Several senior Muslim clerics and tribal leaders from around Libya called for an end to the bloodshed by the regime, and for the government to step down. A "spontaneous" protest occurred in Tripoli by night where the protesters quickly overran police. One tribal leader threatened to block oil exports.
• The Tuareg tribe in the south was said to have answered a call by the larger Warfalla tribe to take part in the protests. The Tuareg towns of Ghat and Ubary were also locations for violence, with members of the tribe reportedly attacking government buildings and police stations.
• Gaddafi's second son Saif al-Islam appeared on state television and blamed the violence and protests, including "acts of sabotage and burning", on "foreign agents", and in particular, Israel, echoing the attempts made by other Arab leaders in Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen to dismiss and downplay the unrest. He said that the unrest "may cause civil war". He also said that Libya was different from its neighbours. He ended by warning, "We will fight to the last man and woman and bullet. We will not lose Libya. We will not let Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya and BBC trick us." State-run Al-Shababiya was reportedly attacked in the evening following Saif El Islam's address.
• The United States Department of State, through the American Embassy, issued a travel warning to US citizens due to the continuing unrest in Libya. The European Union called on the government to refrain from using force and to answer the protesters' grievances.
• In the night, clashes escalated in Tripoli, with protesters trying to seize control of Green Square. Witnesses reported snipers firing into the crowds, and Gaddafi supporters driving around the square shooting and running demonstrators over. Protesters burned a police and security forces' station and the General People's Congress' building. Hospital mortuaries in Tripoli were reportedly overrun with bodies many having gunshot wounds to the head and chest. It is estimated that 600 to 700 people were killed.

21 February

• Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi called for a "general assembly" to discuss grievances.

Representatives of the Libyan Community in Ireland demonstrating in Dublin, Ireland, against Gaddafi on 21 February 2011.

• In Benghazi, protesters took control of the streets, looted weapons from the main security headquarters and seized the local radio station, starting their own broadcasts under the name Voice of Free Libya. Demonstrators also lowered the Libyan flag from above the main courthouse and replaced it with the flag of Libya's old monarchy. Libyan Air Force warplanes and attack helicopters launched airstrikes on protesters, reportedly targeting a funeral procession and a group of protesters trying to reach a military base. Two senior mutineering air force pilots flew their Dassault Mirage F1 fighter jets to Malta and requested political asylum after defying orders to bomb protesters. Two civilian helicopters also landed in Malta, carrying seven passengers who claimed to be French oil workers.
• Reports indicated the People's Hall in Tripoli, which serves as the meeting place for the General People's Congress, had been set on fire. There were also reports that the state-television building had been smashed up by protesters and that at least one Tripoli police station was burned down. Libyan Navy warships were reported to have begun bombardment of residential areas causing an unknown number of casualties. Banks and other government buildings were looted throughout the day. Demonstrators clashed with security forces, and heavy gunfire was heard throughout the city. At least sixty-one people were killed.
• Some people alleged that they were offered money to turn up for pro-Gaddafi rallies outside Libya. Within Libya, state-run television showed pro-Gaddafi rallies, though the international media doubted the authenticity of these protests as possibly having been staged.
• The Libyan Navy reportedly shelled demonstrators from the sea, and Gaddafi allegedly issued execution orders to soldiers refusing to fire on protesters.
• There were reports that Gaddafi had fled Tripoli after the People's Hall and the state-television headquarters were overrun and burned by protesters – according to rumours he had fled either to the town of Sabha or to Venezuela. UK Foreign Secretary Hague also said that he had received information that Gaddafi had left Libya and was travelling to Venezuela. Venezuelan government officials denied reports that Gaddafi had left Libya and was on a plane bound for Caracas. It was later reported that one of Gaddafi's sons arrived on Isla Margarita, Venezuela, around the time that Hague made his allegation.
• The BBC News reported that the Libyan Army was "fighting forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi, who appears to be struggling to hold on to power." A group of army officers also called upon their fellow soldiers to "join the people" and remove Gaddafi from office. Islamic leaders and clerics in Libya urged all Muslims to rebel against Gaddafi. The Libyan Ambassador to Poland stated that the flood of defections by elements of the Army and Air Force, as well as by government ministers, could not be stopped and that Gaddafi's days in power were numbered. He also said that firing on the protesters was only increasing the unrest and that it was the sign of a dying regime. Libyan Ambassadors to Indonesia, Bangladesh, the European Union and India also resigned in protest of the actions of the Gaddafi regime.
• Internet hacktivists Anonymous issue a statement advising NATO to leave Libya alone.

22 February

File:Col Gaddafi's statement, 22 Feb 2011.JPG

Muammar Gaddafi uttering his historic "I am in Tripoli" rallying call through Libyan state television, 22 February 2011.

• Gaddafi made a brief appearance on Libyan state television in which he said he had been speaking to the youth in Tripoli's Green Square. He also said:

"I am in Tripoli. Do not believe the (news) channels belonging to stray dogs."

Gunfire was reportedly heard throughout the night of 21–22 February. Government soldiers were reported to have continued some bombarding to keep defecting soldiers away from the protests. Fighter jets were reported to have targeted army ammunition depots in order to prevent troops from joining the protesters.

• A Libyan naval vessel was reportedly sighted off the coast of Malta. According to Al Jazeera, five Italian fighter jets overflew the ship, and the Italian Navy began conducting surveillance. The ship reportedly had its flag lowered, suggesting that the crew may want to defect. The Armed Forces of Malta several times denied reports in the international media that it was monitoring any such vessels approaching Maltese shores.
• Former Libyan Ambassador to India Ali Abd-al-Aziz al-Isawi, stated that he feared returning to Libya. He also confirmed that fighter jets were used to bomb civilians, and that foreign mercenaries, who seemed to have come from other African states, were "massacring" people.
• Former Libyan Ambassador to Bangladesh A. H. Elimam, was also reported to have "disappeared" after 9:00 Bangladesh time. Al Jazeera said the last conversation with him noted "a sense of panic" in his voice and that his phone had been switched off. He indicated a feeling of being threatened by an intelligence officer at the embassy, who was from the same village as Gaddafi. The Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry and other diplomats in that state could not confirm his whereabouts.
• A doctor in Tripoli told Asharq Al-Awsat that mercenaries broke into his hospital and killed injured people.
• Former UK Foreign Secretary David Owen said that a "military intervention" via a no-fly zone was immediately necessary. The Austrian Army reported that the airspace around Tripoli had been closed, but later retracted the statement. An Austrian Defense Ministry spokesman, Michael Huber, said: "One of our sources said that initially that it (airspace) was closed, but then another later confirmed otherwise. Our plane was able to leave."
• Eyewitnesses reported that thousands of African mercenaries were flown into Tripoli to put down the uprising. One insider source reportedly said that Gaddafi now could only rely on his own clan and 5,000 men, out of 45,000, and knew he could not retake Libya. According to this source, he apparently planned to force a Pyrrhic victory on his opponents; to whittle down their numbers with many skirmishes, harm the economy by sabotaging oil reserves, and in every sense damaging infrastructure to the best of his ability, stating "I have the money and arms to fight for a long time". Oil infrastructures may be sabotaged to cut economic supply to rebel clans, while fights may lead thousands to flee Libya to pressure them. Thus, all may prefer to accept the Gaddafi's status quo.

I am a Bedouin warrior who brought glory to Libyans

— Muammar Gaddafi during his speech on 22 February 2011.

• In a second speech within twenty-four hours, believed by commentators to be made from his family compound in the Bab al-Azizia military barracks in southern Tripoli, Gaddafi blamed foreign powers and hallucinogens being forced on the protesters for the unrest. He rejected stepping down, saying he had no official position from which he could step down, and stated that he would "die as martyr". The scenery of the speech indicated that Gaddafi was in Libya.
• In his hour-long speech, he blamed the uprising on "Islamists", and then warned that an "Islamic emirate" has already been set up in Al Bayda and Derna, where he threatened the use of extreme force and genocide-like tactics, to stop the Islamfication of Libya. Gaddafi vowed to fight on and die a "martyr" on Libyan soil. He then called on his supporters to take back the streets on the 23rd from protesters and tribal rebels, who were demanding that he step down. He also went on to state that he had "not yet ordered the use of force", and warned viewers that "when I do, everything will burn".
• Gaddafi vowed to fight his opponents "until the last drop of his blood had been spilt" rather than step down, describing anti-regime protesters as "rats" and "mercenaries" working for foreign states and corporate agendas. Gaddafi said the rioting urban youths that were opposed to his rule were manipulated by others who gave them drugs and who were trying to turn Libya into an Islamic state. (In earlier speeches he blamed "Zionists" for the riots.) Furthermore, he threatened a Tiananmen-style crackdown. The speech would later be parodied in a viral YouTube video entitled Zenga Zenga.
• Abdul Fatah Younis, who held the position of top general and interior minister, escaped from house arrest, resigned, and called for the army and police to fight Gaddafi and his regime. Until his resignation, General Younis was regarded as the second most powerful man in Libya.
• Human Rights Watch said that at least 233 people had been killed up to 22 February.
• By nighttime, the Arab League had suspended the Libyan delegation from meetings until the Libyan people were safe.

23 February

A young Libyan carrying King Idris's photograph during a protest in Benghazi on 23 February 2011.

• UK Foreign Secretary Hague said in a press release that there were "many indications of the structure of the State collapsing in Libya". He also urged the Libyan state to listen to people's demands. Luxembourger Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn called the situation in Libya a genocide and called for massive intervention from the international community. He argued a resolution was needed allowing control of Libyan airspace so as to stop mercenaries entering Libya. He called Gaddafi a "sick and dangerous" "tyrant".
• Peru fully severed diplomatic ties with Libya's government and the African Union conducted a security meeting on the rapidly changing situation in Libya. The European Union agreed in principle to impose sanctions, the form of which to be decided the following Friday, and the Dutch government met in emergency session to consider freezing billions of euros of assets invested by Tamoil, the Libyan government's oil company.
• The Warfalla, the largest of the numerous tribes in Libya, joined calls from other tribes for Gaddafi to stand down.
• Mustafa Mohamed Abud Al Jeleil, Libya's justice minister, who had resigned on 21 February in protest at the "excessive use of violence" against protesters along with diplomats at the Libyan Mission to the United Nations, who called on the Libyan Army to help remove "the tyrant Muammar Gaddafi". He had also asserted that Gaddafi personally ordered the Lockerbie bombing of 1988.
• Youssef Sawani, a senior aide to Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, resigned from his post "to express dismay against violence" and thousands of foreigners continue to leave, with chaos at Tripoli International Airport.
• Tripoli's streets were deserted after Gaddafi urged attacks on protesters, but Tobruk was still full of protesters. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said there were credible reports that about 1,000 people have been killed in Libya's week-old rebellion. Frattini also confirmed that the eastern half of Libya, known as Cyrenaica, was no longer under Gaddafi's de facto control. Unconfirmed reports suggested that the government now only controlled a few parts of Tripoli and the southern desert town of Sabha. Misrata was confirmed to be under protester control. The pre-Gaddafi 1951–1969 royalist Libyan flag was also reportedly raised in As Zawiya, 50 km (31 mi) west of Tripoli. Both coastal Tripolitania and most of northern Cyrenaica were in rebel hands by the middle of the day. The Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights said that the anti-Gaddafi protesters also controlled Sirte, Misrata, Al Khums, the Tarhunah District, Zenten, Az Zawiyah and Zuwarah. Pro-Gaddafi forces were sent to Sabratha after demonstrators burned government buildings and joined in the rebellion, according to Libyan newspaper Quryna.
• A 23 February Reuters article stated that according to a WikiLeaks-leaked US cable, Gaddafi pressed the US to foster division and disagreements in Saudi Arabia and exerted heavy pressure on the US as well as on oil companies to reimburse the $1.5 billion Libya had paid in 2008 into a fund to settle terrorism claims from the 1980s.
• By the end of the day, headlines in online news services were reporting a range of themes underlining the precarious state of the regime – former justice minister Mustafa Abud Al-Jeleil alleged that Gaddafi personally ordered the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, resignations and "defections" of close allies, the loss of Benghazi, the second-largest city in Libya, reported to be "alive with celebration" and other cities including Tobruk and Misrata reportedly falling with some believing that government had retained control of "just a few pockets", Gaddafi family members allegedly refused entry to safe jurisdictions (an unscheduled plane said to be carrying Gaddafi's daughter Aisha was denied permission to enter Malta, although the Maltese government later denied knowing whether she was on board), mounting international isolation and pressure, and reports that Middle East media considered the end of his "disintegrating" regime all but inevitable.
• Around midnight, some reports began to emerge describing the situation as civil war or revolution, with Gaddafi trying to ensure control over the capital and his political base Tripoli.

24 February

Further information: Battle of Misrata

Further information: Battle of Az Zawiyah

• Protesters assumed complete control of Tobruk, where soldiers and residents celebrated by waving the former Libyan flag used during the Kingdom of Libya (1951–1969), firing guns into the air and honking horns. Army units in Tobruk and throughout eastern Libya sided with protesters, with some soldiers and officers participating in demonstrations. Commanders pledged to defend the "liberated territory" with their lives after Gaddafi threatened to take it back by force. Two airmen bailed out of their jet, which crashed into the desert, after defying orders to bomb Tobruk. In the collapse of central authority, residents formed public-defence committees for security, and opened welfare organisations to ensure that residents had enough to eat. At newly established security checkpoints, demonstrators handed out bottled water and juice to passing motorists.
• Cities and towns close to Tripoli were reported to be falling to protesters, while in Tripoli itself, pro-Gaddafi militia patrolled the streets to prevent demonstrations. In the east, civilian protesters and military units that had defected and reorganized armed themselves to prepare for an upcoming "Battle of Tripoli". Meanwhile Gaddafi prepared for the defense of the city by gathering pro-government forces in the capital and deploying tanks in the suburbs.
• The North African wing of al-Qaeda announced that they would support the Libyan uprising. In a televised phone call to the people of Az Zawiyah, where fighting was taking place, Gaddafi claimed the revolts could be blamed on Osama bin Laden, and that young Libyans had been duped with drugs and alcohol. Gaddafi dispatched an envoy to Az Zawiyah, who warned protesters of a "massacre" if they did not leave.
• Pro-Gaddafi Libyan forces and foreign mercenaries opened fire on a mosque in Az Zawiyah, where residents, some armed with hunting rifles, had been holding a sit-in to support the protesters in Tripoli. The troops blasted the mosque's minaret with an anti-aircraft gun, killing 10 people and wounding 150. Thousands of people then gathered in Az Zawiyah's main square to demonstrate against Gaddafi. Hours after the attack, Gaddafi gave a speech on state television, where he expressed condolences for the deaths, but scolded the city's residents for siding with the uprising, saying "shame on you, people of Zawiyah, control your children", and that "they are loyal to Bin Laden. What do you have to do with Bin Laden, people of Zawiyah? They are exploiting young people... I insist it is Bin Laden". He also blamed teenagers on hallucinogenic pills given to them "in their coffee with milk, like Nescafé".
• Pro-Gaddafi militia and foreign mercenaries also attacked an airport outside Misrata, which was defended by protesters armed with rifles, in what would become the Battle of Misrata. During the fighting, the militia bombarded the protesters with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, while the protesters managed to seize an anti-aircraft gun and turn it against the militia. At the same time, officers from an air-force school near the airport mutinied, and with the help of local residents, overran an adjacent airbase where Gaddafi supporters were holed up, and disabled fighter jets to prevent their use against protesters. Five people were killed during the fighting: four protesters and one pro-Gaddafi militiaman, and another forty wounded.
• In Tripoli, militia and foreign mercenaries continued patrolling the streets, firing guns into the air, while neighbourhood-watch groups barricaded side streets to try to keep the fighters out. Security forces also raided numerous homes around the city and arrested suspected political opponents. Armed militiamen entered a hospital to search for government opponents among the wounded.
• Ahmed Ghadaf al-Dam, a cousin and one of Gaddafi's closest aides, defected to Egypt, protesting what he called "grave violations of human rights and human and international laws.
• The European Union called for Libya to be suspended from the United Nations Human Rights Council, and for the United Nations Security Council to approve a probe to investigate "gross and systematic violations of human rights by the Libyan authorities", while Switzerland froze all of Gaddafi's assets there. Sources in the UK government including the UK Treasury, announced that Gaddafi's assets were being tracked and that £20 billion in liquid assets and a £10-million mansion in London would be seized within days.

25 February

• For the first time in days, thousands took to the streets of Tripoli to protest, with protester and civilian death tolls rising.
• The dual military and civilian Mitiga International Airport, about 11 km (6.8 mi) east of Tripoli, seemed to have been taken over by anti-Gaddafi protesters in the afternoon, "after a series of defections". The Guardian described the takeover as "confirmed"; Guardian journalist Ian Black, stated, "If Mitiga air base near Tripoli is confirmed as having gone over to the Libyan popular uprising it would be a serious blow for the regime close to the heart of the capital."
• Gaddafi appeared at 18:55 (local time) in Tripoli's Green Square, with a crowd of supporters, "Sing, dance and be ready, we will fight those who are against us" and "If the people of Libya and the Arabs and Africans don't love Moammar Gadhafi then Moammar Gadhafi does not deserve to live."

26 February

• In Az Zawiyah, a city about 50 km (31 mi) away from the Tripoli, an amateur video shows soldiers appearing to switch sides and joining anti-government protesters. Witnesses told Al Jazeera Arabic that Libyan protesters had taken control of a number of areas in Tripoli. Security forces had abandoned the working-class Tajoura district, after five days of anti-government demonstrations, residents told foreign correspondents who visited the area.
• In Benghazi, a small naval base became controlled by the opposition. The naval force consisted of a missile cruiser, a frigate, a decommissioned minesweeper and a decommissioned submarine. The commander of the fleet that remained, after his superiors deserted their posts, said that he would defend the city against Gaddafi forces, saying that "He [Gaddafi] means nothing to me, he sees the east part of the country as enemies and he will do anything to exterminate us".
• In Benghazi, a spokesman for the revolution told Agence France-Presse that they were drawing up plans for a transitional government to take power, but in the nearby town of Ajdabiya, local residents said food was becoming scarce.
• By the end of the day, an interim government had been formed by former justice minister Mustafa Mohamed Abud Al Jeleil. Libyan Ambassador to the US Ali Suleiman Aujali became the first Libyan diplomat to recognise the new government.
• For the first time, US President Barack Obama urged Gaddafi to step down from power and avoid further violence. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took the same stance.

National Transitional Council established (27 February – 3 March)

27 February

• After distancing itself from the Gaddafi regime, the Italian government officially suspended the "friendship" treaty it holds with Libya. The treaty forbids warfare or military confrontation between the two states, but the suspension of the treaty would allow otherwise.
• On 27 February, The Tripoli Post reported that the UN Security Council on 26 February had voted unanimously to impose sanctions against the Libyan authorities, imposing an arms embargo and freezing the assets of its leaders, while referring the ongoing violent repression of civilian demonstrators to the International Criminal Court.
• Gaddafi gave an interview to Serbian television station RTV Pink, calling the UN Security Council resolution "invalid in accordance with the United Nations Charter" and that the resolution was based on the news reports rather than on actual state in Libya. He vowed to stay in Libya blaming the "foreigners and Al-Qaeda" for the unrest, saying that the protests began when "the gangs of drugged young men attacked regular army forces".
• A National Transitional Council was formed in Benghazi. It was created not as a provisional government but rather seeking to act as the "political face of the uprising". The efforts of former justice minister Mustafa Mohamed Abud Al Jeleil to form a provisional government appeared to have stalled.
• Tripoli was largely quiet during the morning, with militiamen erecting additional roadblocks and tanks parked at major intersections. Residents said the Libyan leader was arming civilian supporters to set up checkpoints and roving patrols around the capital to control movement and quash dissent.
• Az Zawiyah, a city of 290,000 just 48 km (30 mi) west of Tripoli, appeared to be a potential focal point for clashes as anti-government forces mounted tanks and anti-aircraft guns throughout the city center, and Gaddafi forces surrounded the outskirts with tanks and military checkpoints, according to an Associated Press reporter who visited the city.
• The UK revoked the diplomatic immunity of Gaddafi and his family, UK Foreign Secretary Hague said on Sunday, urging the dictator to step down. The Belgian government annnounced that it would shut down its embassy in Tripoli on 28 February, temporarily discontinuing diplomatic activities in the troubled north African state, the foreign ministry said. Canada, France, the UK and the US were among the states that had already temporarily shut their embassies in Tripoli and evacuated their staff amid growing unrest over demands for Gaddafi to quit.
• US Secretary of State Clinton offered "any kind of assistance" to Libyans and opposition groups seeking to overthrow Gaddafi.
• Hafiz Ghoga, spokesman for the National Transitional Council, said the council was not an interim government, was not contacting foreign governments and did not want them to intervene. "We will help liberate other Libyan cities, in particular Tripoli through our national army, our armed forces, of which part have announced their support for the people," Ghoga said, but he did not give details about how the council would help. Although not a direct response to Clinton's remarks, Ghoga said: "We are completely against foreign intervention. The rest of Libya will be liberated by the people and Gadhafi's security forces will be eliminated by the people of Libya."

28 February

• It was reported that opposition forces shot down a government warplane during the Battle of Misrata.
• The US Navy began positioning several ships near the coast of Libya, although it was still unclear what action they might take. Calls for a military enforced no-fly-zone on Libya became increasingly prominent. UK Prime Minister David Cameron, proposed the idea of a no-fly zone to prevent Gaddafi from airlifting mercenaries and using his military aeroplanes and armoured helicopters against civilians. Rhetoric used by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested that the implication of such was likely. Clinton also stepped up her rhetoric against Gaddafi, calling for his immediate removal.
• Gaddafi had reportedly appointed the head of Libya's foreign intelligence service to speak to the leadership of the anti-government protesters in the east of Libya.
• The US froze US$30 billion of assets belonging to the Libyan government, the largest amount of assets ever frozen.
• On Monday, pro-Gadhafi forces tried to retake control of the western border crossings with Tunisia that had fallen under opposition control and they bombed an ammunition depot in the rebel-held east, residents in the area said. The Libyan Defense Ministry denied the bombing.
• During the day, regime forces attacked Zawiya and Misrata, but were repelled by anti-government forces with a small number of casualties on both sides.

1 March

• On 1 March, Australian Minister for Defence Stephen Smith confirmed that his government was considering military options against Gaddafi, saying that international intervention to enforce a no-fly zone was probable. Smith asserted that "no one is expecting" Gaddafi to leave power voluntarily. Al Jazeera reported that Misrata was once again under attack, this time from a combined armor and air assault. According to a witness quoted by Al Jazeera, Gaddafi's forces were using heavy weapons against protesters and rebels in the city, while the anti-Gaddafi forces were fighting back with small arms.
• Abdul Fatah Younis, Gaddafi's former interior minister and the leader of a growing rebel force, told Al Jazeera that if Gaddafi could not be dislodged from Tripoli, he would welcome foreign intervention in the form of targeted airstrikes, though he said a land invasion was unwanted and offered the use of Libyan military airbases only in case of emergency to foreign aircraft. Al Jazeera also reported that anti-Gaddafi forces had repulsed a six-hour offensive by government forces attempting to seize Zawiya, securing the city for the opposition.
• Also on 1 March, rebel leaders were debating whether to ask for Western airstrikes under the United Nations banner against military assets of the regime. One senior official said, "If he falls with no intervention, I'd be happy, but if he's going to commit a massacre, my priority is to save my people."
• Brigadier Musa'ed Ghaidan Al Mansouri, the head of the Al Wahat Security Directorate, and Brigadier Hassan Ibrahim Al Qarawi defected to the protester side.
• Brigadier Dawood Issa Al Qafsi later defected to the opposition as well. The brigadier also confirmed that the eastern towns of Braiga, Bisher, Ogaila, Sultan and Zwaitina are under opposition control as well.
• By night, the UN had suspended Libya from the UN Human Rights Council.
• Britain's foreign secretary William Hague said that a no-fly zone could be imposed "even without a Security Council resolution – it depends on the situation on the ground".
• On Tuesday, Gadhafi's regime sought to show that it was the state's only legitimate authority and that it continued to feel compassion for areas in the east that fell under the control of its opponents. A total of eighteen trucks loaded with rice, flour, sugar and eggs left Tripoli for Benghazi – Libya's second-largest city – 1000 km (620 mi) east of the capital. Also in the convoy were two refrigerated cars carrying medical supplies.
• Gaddafi's regime attempted to retake Gharyan and Zliten. The regime's forces were repelled from Zliten, but remained local at Gharyan, where there was ongoing fighting.

2 March

See also: Battle of Brega

• The Gaddafi regime attempted to retake the city of Marsa Brega, but the attack was largely repelled by the rebels. At least fourteen were reported killed in the fighting, although reporters who came in from the Benghazi area saw only four dead, two of which were apparently pro-Gaddafi fighters. The attack on Marsa Brega was believed to be more towards psychological warfare against the eastern cities.

• Warplanes were also sent to Ajdabiya in an attempt to bomb the weapons storage. Two fighter jets attacked the weapons storage area, one of which was shot down by anti-aircraft guns.

• Benghazian residents stated that a convoy of armed opposition fighters, accompanied by army officers, had embarked on a long journey south. They were expected to attempt to reach Tripoli by navigating around the town of Sirte.

• The opposition's interim-government council had formally requested the UN to impose a no-fly zone and to conduct precision air strikes against Ghaddafi's forces. US Secretary of State Clinton, after backing down from the idea of a no-fly zone, re-engaged in supporting the idea of a military enforced no-fly zone. The Arab League stated that a no-fly zone was necessary. It also said that in cooperation with the African Union, it could impose a military-enforced no-fly zone without the UN's backing.

• By the end of the day, rebels in the southwest city of Ghadames managed to take control of the city.

• As the day closed, there were also reports of pro-Gaddafi forces massing around the town of Nalut (held by the opposition), with some fearing an imminent attack to retake the city; an attack did not happen.

3 March

• The International Criminal Court announced it would begin to launch an investigation into war crimes committed by Gaddafi, his sons and his inner circle. Opposition forces were also to be investigated as well to assure no crimes were being committed on its side.

• The Libyan opposition rejected calls from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to conduct peaceful dialogue with Gaddafi, after Chávez convinced Gaddafi to start "peaceful talks with protesters". The Libyan opposition refused to conduct talks or negotiations with the government.

Initial rebel advance (4–5 March)

4 March

See also: Battle of Ra's Lanuf

• Occasional air strikes continued on Ajdabiya's weapon-storage area, with no reported casualties.

• Regime forces in Tripoli prepared for an expected mass protest by the people after Friday prayers. By the afternoon, demonstrators gathered in the thousands, but did not amount to a siege of the city.

• Regime forces attempted to retake the oil refineries in Zawiya, but were met with heavy resistance, with casualties on both sides according to witnesses. During the night, pro-Gaddafi forces withdrew to the outside of the city, according to local witnesses.

• According to eye-witness accounts, opposition forces had begun an assault on the small port town of Ra's Lanuf. The opposition forces claimed that they numbered 7,000 personnel in the attack on Ra's Lanuf. They also reported that there were "massive" defections at the local pro-Gaddafi military base in Ra's Lanuf.

• By night, the opposition forces managed to capture the entire town of Ra's Lanuf, including the airbase.

5 March

See also: Battle of Bin Jawad

• In battles occurring in the morning of 5 March in Az Zawiyah, thirty-three people were reported killed, twenty-five of them rebels and eight pro-Gaddafi soldiers. Pro-Gaddafi forces used tanks to destroy residential buildings and kill some protesters, but rebels were able to overcome them by capturing some and lighting another six tanks on fire. By mid-day pro-Gaddafi soldiers were reported to have been beaten back.

• Witnesses reported that a fighter jet was shot down in Ra's Lanuf after it attempted to bomb the town. They later report that they had found the remains of two pilots. This incident is confirmed through video evidence.

• Rebels prepared to try to capture the city of Sirte, Gaddafi's home town and stronghold. Rebels took control of Bin Jawad, a town between Ra's Lanuf and Sirte. Political divides and hostilities had already formed amongst the local population in Sirte because of the killing of several tribesmen by Government forces.

• After previously backing down from the idea, France re-engaged in support for a no- fly zone and was working with the US and UK to get the resolution passed.

• The National Council established by the opposition declared itself Libya's sole representative.

First loyalist offensive (6–16 March)

6 March

• Opposition forces advancing on Sirte were targeted by Libyan warplanes in the morning, although the effectiveness of the airstrikes was unclear, and a witness fighting for the opposition reported heavy fighting in Bin Jawad as Government soldiers apparently launched a counterattack against the town. Al Jazeera reported that opposition forces were massing for a decisive battle at the town of Wadi-al-Ahmar, which could determine control of Sirte itself.

• At least some advancing rebels withdrew toward Ra's Lanuf under helicopter attack, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported, and Libyan warplanes again bombed positions near both Ra's Lanuf and Zawiyah. Administration of Bin Jawad was resumed by government forces as the rebels retreated, but Al Jazeera reported opposition forces pushed west after reportedly shooting down an attack helicopter and two warplanes and reasserted control over the hamlet. Al Arabiya and other agencies reported that forces loyal to Gaddafi began shelling the city of Misrata, the largest opposition stronghold in Tripolitania, around midday.

• According to local witnesses, the rebels fended off the attack on Misrata by Gaddafi's forces. 21 rebels and civilians were killed, including a twelve-year-old boy. 22 of Gaddafi's soldiers were killed, and another twenty captured.

7 March

• France and the UK were attempting to get a no-fly zone established through the UN Security Council, after previously backing down from the idea. The gulf states in the Middle East had officially called for a no-fly zone to be placed, and an Arab League emergency meeting will discuss the implication of one backed by it own organization.

• Hundreds of Gaddafi's soldiers entered Zawiya with tanks. According to local witnesses, the soldiers used the tanks to fire at houses and many homes were destroyed. The death toll was a minimum of eight, with dozens of civilians casualties expected to be found. Rebels still controlled Zawiya, however, but was fighting the fiercest battle yet, according to witnesses. Some witnesses went on to say "the whole town is in ruins".

• By the morning of 7 March, BBC News had reported that the town of Bin Jawad was under the control of government forces and they were advancing on Ra's Lanuf.

• While rebels in Ra's Lanuf managed to successfully fend off attacking infantry forces, fighter jets continued to launch air-strikes in Ra's Lanuf, causing several casualties.

8 March

• Air strikes continued on Ra's Lanuf, which was still held by rebels. The air strikes on 8 March caused no casualties. Az Zawiyah was still held by rebels, but under repeated artillery fire by pro-Gaddafi forces. A video posted on YouTube, allegedly provided by Sky News reporters who sneaked into Az Zawiyah, debunked the regime's claims that they controlled the city.

• The National Transitional Council issued a statement to Gaddafi, saying that if he and his family were to call off fighting and leave Libya within seventy-two hours, the council would not prosecute them for crimes committed.

9 March

• Rebels still held on to Zawiya but were still under assault by tanks, snipers, and heavy artillery from Gaddafi's forces. Local witnesses said the regime's military temporarily captured Zawiya's main square, but by night were driven back to 1 km (0.62 mi) from the city center.

• The rebels attempted to move against Bin Jawad once more; however, after firing off around fifty rockets and making some advances, they were hit by artillery and air strikes and retreated to Ra's Lanuf. The rebels then claimed that they had eventually retaken Bin Jawad, although this could not be confirmed.

• The European Parliament urged all European states to recognize the National Interim Council as the government of Libya.

10 March

• On 10 March, France officially recognized the National Interim Council as Libya's only legitimate government. Portugal later also recognized the council.

• Zawiyah was retaken by government forces. Reporters from the The Times and ITV reported from the square in the city where they confirmed it was under government control and clean-up operations were underway. At the same time on the eastern front, after beating back the rebels from Bin Jawad, government forces launched their largest attack yet against Ra's Lanuf and began to move into the town. Opposition forces were in retreat from the city along with some of the civilian population and were attempting to regroup east of Ra's Lanuf.

• In spite of "Libyan state television claiming that Kadafi forces had cleared Ras Lanuf of "armed gangs" and Government military forces intensifying their attack "with heavy artillery from the sea and the air", anti-Gaddafi forces still controlled the town.

• The African Union announces the composition of the Ad-hoc High Level Committee on Libya

11 March

• On the morning of 11 March, the first government ground troops entered Ra's Lanuf with 150 soldiers, backed up by three tanks, and managed to get to the city center. At the same time, four transport boats came in from the sea and unloaded between forty and fifty soldiers each on the beach near the Fadeel hotel. They were engaged by hard-core rebel remnants, who had not retreated from the town the previous day. Government troops captured the residential area, but the rebels continued to hold out in the oil-port facilities throughout the day and recaptured much of the town in a counteroffensive in the afternoon.

• The same day, rebels claimed they were still in control in Zawiya; however, just a few hours later, a pro-Gaddafi rally was held in the center of the city, witnessed by 100 foreign journalists, confirming the city was retaken.

12 March

• On 12 March, rebels fighting in Ra's Lanuf retreated in the afternoon to the town of Uqayla west of Marsa Brega. Later during the day, the government took foreign journalists to the city for confirmation of the town's fall.

• Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa called for a no-fly zone to be put in place after previously resisting the idea. The league met and did not allow Libyan diplomats from Gaddafi's government to join despite Gaddafi's government's request to attend. The league "called on the United Nations Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over Libya in a bid to protect civilians from air attack". Its request was announced by Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah. He stated that all member states present at the talks agreed with this.

• The league also announced it now recognized the National Transitional Council as the government of Libya.

• Al Jazeera cameraman Ali Hassan al-Jaber was shot dead near Benghazi. He was the first journalist killed since the uprising started.

13 March

See also: Second Battle of Brega

• Before dawn on 13 March, pro-Gaddafi forces, advancing eastward from Ra's Lanuf, had taken the town of Uqayla and the village of Bisher and were heading toward Brega. Rebel forces in Brega had started a retreat for Ajdabiya. Brega was captured later in the day by pro-Gaddafi forces.

• According to human-rights watchers, Tripoli was in a state of fear as pro-Gaddafi forces arrested people along with disappearances taking place. According to residents of the city, scores of anti-government protesters had been arrested and were subjected to torture.

• Ali Atiyya, a colonel of the Libyan Air Force at the Mitiga military airport near Tripoli defected and joined the rebellion.

• Amnesty International condemned the killing of al-Jaber, the Al Jazeera journalist, the day before.

• Rebels forces returned to fight in Marsa Brega. Reports from rebels and Al Jazeera sources claimed that the rebels had recaptured the town, killing twenty-five of Gaddaffi's soldiers and capturing twenty in the process. With the destruction of the Ra's Lanuf oil refinery, Gaddafi only controlled one oil refinery in Al-Zawiyah. Most military analysts believed that Gaddafi was running out of fuel; and his supply lines were vulnerable and extended. Tanks on average get about one mile to the gallon, showing the heavy cost in fuel in running a war.

• Al-Jazeera reported that Al-Zawiyah was being besieged by pro-Gaddafi forces, with no further details given; it was unclear whether the report was accurate or in error.

14 March

• On 14 March, the fighting in Brega was at a stalemate, with rebel forces holding the residential district and government forces holding the oil facilities.

• Meanwhile on the western front, government forces launched an artillery barrage on Zuwarah. A group of rebels managed to fend off a military assault against a rebel checkpoint outside of the city, but within hours, government tanks had captured the city's main square. Rebels in Zuwarah still launched counterattacks at night. Government warplanes also launched airstrikes on rebel targets in Ajdabiya. A few occasional clashes also took place around the outskirts of Misrata.

• Al Jazeera reported that former Libyan army commander Khalifa Belqasim Haftar, who served in the Chadian–Libyan conflict, had returned to Libya to aid and support the rebels.

15 March

See also: Battle of Ajdabiya

• On 15 March, pro-Gaddafi forces attacked Ajdabiya. Reuters reported that civilians and rebel forces were massively retreating from Ajdabiya, giving up their position, which was confirmed by a journalist from Le Monde. Soon after, Libyan state television announced that the pro-Gaddafi forces were in full control of Ajdabiya. Al Jazeera reported that the opposition's airforce has destroyed and sunk two Gaddafi warships and hit a third, off the coast of Ajdabiya and Benghazi. In the meantime, the oil town of Brega was reclaimed by pro-Gaddafi forces. Google maps show that the desert breaks away to farmland and trees near Benghazi, and the rebel tactics may have changed to withdraw into terrain that is better suited to a lightly equipped rebel force where they could try to simply bleed the regime dry.

• By that evening, there were conflicting reports that rebel forces in Ajdabiya had either retreated from the city or there was still some fighting. It was confirmed that pro-Gaddafi forces had entered the city centre earlier in the day. Rebel forces claim they repulsed the attack, while the government claims otherwise.

• The Independent reported that four men had been arrested in Ajdabiya by the rebel forces, with evidence linking them to the death of Al Jaber, the Al Jazeera journalist who was killed near Benghazi on 12 March. Under questioning, the suspects allegedly confessed that they had been ordered to silence opposition figures and drive out international presence from territories of the protest movement. The men had five guns, some of them with silencers, and they also had night sights. Bullets from two of them matched those used to kill the journalist. Several thousands dinars were found in their pockets, but the suspects denied that the money were related to the assassination.

• Sporadic gunfights were reported inside Benghazi, as rebel forces were fighting with the Gaddafi military after the rebels began searching in Benghazi for sleeper agents working for the regime.

• According to Mustafa Gheriani, an opposition spokesman, a rebel frigate seized an Greek oil tanker carrying 25,000 tons of fuel for the government.

16 March

• On 16 March, Al Manara Media reported more defections. Two fighter jets allegedly landed at the Benghazi airport and joined the rebel forces. It was also reported that two battalions of pro-Gaddafi forces defected in Sirte, taking control of the airport. Also, Manara stated that twenty-five soldiers and an officer from the fifth battalion, who were in Misrata, also defected and joined the revolution. In Tobruk, six cars filled with pro-Gaddafi forces from the Khamis battalion surrendered to the opposition. However, no other independent media confirmed the defections.

• During the day on 16 March, both the pro-Gaddafi forces and the opposition forces were still fighting in Ajdabiya, with neither side gaining the upper hand. By night, things were changing in the rebels' favor, as government soldiers themselves told journalists that they were facing stronger resistance from the rebels, forcing many government soldiers to retreat. Agence France-Presse reported at least twenty-six deaths in fights around Ajdabiya.

• The UN called for a ceasefire on both sides, and established a draft resolution for a no-fly zone.

• The Libyan military attacked Zintan and Misrata. In Misrata, the opposition defeated attacking pro-Gaddafi forces in the south and west corners of the city, capturing several tanks. Low-intensity warfare continued in eastern outskirts of the city, with opposition holding ground and the city in their control. At least eleven deaths were reported. The situation in Zintan was unclear.

• The New York Times announced that four of its journalists were reported missing as of 15 March. Second-hand reports indicated that the journalists may have been swept up by Libyan government forces.

Libyan no-fly zone approved (17–18 March)

17 March

Main article: Libyan no-fly zone

• Just after midnight on 17 March, government troops successfully reoccupied the southern gate of Ajdabiya after a three-hour fight. Later in the morning government forces sealed the eastern entrance to the city and entered the small port town of Zueitina to the northwest of Ajdabiya. Gaddafi also vowed to attack Benghazi that same night. He promised amnesty to rebels that laid down their arms but said his forces would show "no mercy" to those that continued fighting. Rebel leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil said the rebels would stand firm and would not be intimidated.

• Washington shifted its position to support aggressive armed action against Gaddafi's forces. US Ambssador to the UN Susan Rice pushed for the Security Council to approve a no-fly zone and aerial bombing of Gaddafi's army in today's vote. The Council was also to consider the possibility of placing the money in Gaddafi's frozen accounts in the US under rebel control to help them purchase weapons. Gaddafi threatened to retaliate against passenger air and sea traffic in the Mediterranean Sea if Libya is attacked.

• The day marked the first time the rebel forces used aircraft and heavy armor to launch a counterattack at Ajdabiya. A helicopter raid eventually stopped the Gaddafi army from progressing any further. Pro-Gaddafi elements of the air force responded by bombing the Benghazi airport. Two pro-Gaddafi fighter jets were shot down in the attack, with little damage to the airport.

• Two videos were uploaded on that day. First was on Facebook, showing youths fighting with Gaddafi's forces in the streets of Misrata. The cameraman declared that Gaddafi's battalion tried to enter the city but was blocked on the main costal highway. The other video was showing children in the hospital of Ajdabiya, being severely wounded or close to death, by airstrike bombs. It is not known whether those children were in shelters at the moment of wounding.

• Avaaz.org announced that over one million signatures had been collected through Avaaz.org from all over the world, for the imposition of a no-fly zone in Libya.

• Politiken reported that Folketing, the Danish parliament, was prepared to send the Royal Danish Air Force to Libya to enforce a no-fly zone, even if the UN was unable to agree on intervention. The article also has reported of a family in Ajdabiya that witnessed airstrikes on the city's hospital, bus station and various blocks of flats.

• US State department official William Burns said the opposition Libyan National Council might set up an office in Washington DC.

• A Maltese newspaper, The Times, reported that activists were attempting to block an oil shipment to Tripoli that would have departed from Malta. According to the activists, the deal was made by Yahya Ibrahim Gadhafi, an official from a Libyan state oil company.

• In 22:30 GMT, the United Nations Security Council adopted UN Resolution 1973 (2011), which authorized member states "to take all necessary measures… to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamhariya, including Benghazi, while excluding an occupation force". The vote was 10-0 with five abstentions. China and Russia, both of which have veto power, abstained, as did Brazil, India and Germany. The Guardian reported that the US, Britain, France and several Arab states, would join forces to throw a protective ring around the rebel stronghold of Benghazi within hours of the vote. Reuters reported that Italian Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa announced that Italy would serve as a base for any military action against Libya.

• According to Al Jazeera, a few hours before the UN voting, Gaddafi stated in Portugal's public media that "The UN Security Council has no mandate. We don't acknowledge their resolutions. If the world is crazy, we will be crazy too". On the contrary, after the voting, Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Kaim stated to reporters in Tripoli that his regime is ready for the ceasefire decision, but requires an interlocutor to discuss how to implement it.

• The Wall Street Journal reported that Egypt's military had begun shipping arms to the rebel forces in Libya several days beforehand.

18 March

• Rebel fighters began attacking government positions near the western mountain town of Nalut. One rebel fighter was reported killed, and four pro-Gaddafi fighters were claimed to have been killed, along with 18 captured.
• Around midday the Gaddafi government announced an immediate ceasefire in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution. saying it "accepts that it is obliged to accept the U.N. resolution" and that it was acting to protect its civilians from likely military action which had been authorized by the UN Security Council resolution.

• In the evening, pro-Gaddhafi forces were reported to approach Benghazi, with clashes occurring at Magroun and Suluq which are about 50 km (31 mi) from the city. However, the government stated that it was the rebels who were advancing against their positions in Magroun. This was later confirmed via recorded video from the field by Agence France-Presse. Also, there was fighting in the port town of Zueitina, where a government force had landed from the sea the previous day and took the town. The rebels had been besieging them since then. According to the rebels, several of their fighters, along with a number of civilians, were killed and they also claimed to have captured twenty government soldiers. Later, anti-aircraft fire following a loud explosion was heard in Benghazi.

Coalition intervention (19–25 March)

19 March

Main article: Second Battle of Benghazi

• By unanimous vote, Denmark's Parliament authorized direct military action by its air force to help enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973, marking the only time so far in the state's history that military commitment was supported by full parliamentary unity. Despite the Libyan government's assertion that they were respecting the UN-mandated ceasefire, pro-Gadhafi forces entered the suburbs of Benghazi, and were shelling the city with mortars and artillery.

• Pro-Gaddhafi forces were reported in the suburbs of Benghazi and shelling the city with artillery from 20 km (12 mi) away. Pro-Ghaddafi tanks inside Benghazi were reported by a BBC News journalist.

• Also on 19 March, a Mig-23BN was shot down over Benghazi by ground fire. A rebel spokesman later confirmed that the plane belonged to the Free Libyan Air Force and had been engaged in error by rebels. Fox News initially reported that the plane was "bombing their (rebels) eastern stronghold".

• The Libyan government said the rebels violated the UN "no fly" resolution by using a helicopter and a fighter jet to bomb Libyan armed forces.

• Libyan state television said that Libyan Interior Minister Abdul Fatah Younis, who had defected to the opposition one month ago, had returned to the government. The head of the Libyan National Council, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, denied this report. On a live phone call with Al Jazeera, Younis confirmed that he was still in Benghazi and on the rebels' side, and that videos of him on state television were from a meeting with Gaddafi months ago.

• At 4 p.m. (Libyan time), French fighter jets began entering Libyan airspace in reconnaissance missions in support of the Libyan no-fly zone.

• Mohammed Nabbous, founder of Libya Alhurra TV, died in the Second Battle of Benghazi.

• At 6:45 p.m. local time, a French fighter jet fired the first shots, hitting government military armored vehicles. Al Jazeera reported the next day that the air raid had destroyed a convoy of fourten tanks and several trucks loaded with RPGs and ammunition, fourteen pro-Gaddafi soldiers were reported dead after the raid.

• According to Al Jazeera, some citizens of Benghazi were leaving the city and moving northwest to other anti-Gaddafi held towns. Later reports from Al Jazeera/Pentagon relations told that American warships had launched cruise missiles at Libyan airfields as part of a multi-phase operation called Odyssey Dawn. After that, the US planned to focus on the skirmishes on the ground. The Pentagon said that the United Arab Emirates and Qatar would also be involved in military operations in Libya, but would announce their involvement themselves.

• Odyssey Dawn, falls under the operational command of the US African Command, under General Carter Ham. Tactical execution was being run out of the USS Mount Whitney, Admiral Sam Locklear commanding. Off the coast of Libya, there were: 11 vessels from Italy, 11 from the US (including three submarines, each with 112 missiles on board), one from the UK, one from France and one from Canada.

• Later that day, Gaddafi's Secretary General of the People's Congress, Mohammad al-Zawi, had a press conference in which he repeatedly claimed that the ceasefire was in action, contradictory to reports from Al Jazeera, BBC News and other Western news sources. Libyan state television later claimed that Gaddafi forces had shot down a French military plane. No evidence supports this so far other than this source.

• the African Union ad hoc High-Level Committee on Libya meets

20 March

• At about 2:30 a.m. local time, anti-aircraft gunfire was heard for about seven minutes echoing throughout the city of Tripoli; it was unknown what targets were hit. Later, Libya state television reported that airstrikes killed 48 people and wounded 150 in civilian areas. Citing an armed-forces statement, it said Tripoli as well as Benghazi, Misrata and Zuwarah were also hit.

• Libyan armed men on the port of Tripoli captured an Italian ship comprising of crew members – eight from Italy, two from India and one from Ukraine. The ship, the ASSO 22 – belonging to the Augusta Off Shore Society – was sending staff of Eni, an Italian multinational oil-and-gas company, to Libya. It had arrived in Tripoli in the afternoon of 19 March; after the staff departed, the crew was held up by the armed personnel of the port.

• Al Jazeera reported that on 20 March a bombardment had destroyed fourteen tanks, twenty armored-troop carriers and several trucks filled with ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades, killing fourteen pro-Gaddafi soldiers in the process. Three of Gaddafi's tanks had just reached the centre of rebel-held Misrata, a spokesman for the armed opposition told Al Jazeera. The same source reported that pro-Gaddhafi boats did not allow help to reach Misrata. Casualties were reported to be too high to count.

• China, Russia and the Arab League condemned the violence from the US and France with Russia claiming that the UN security council resolution had been "hastily adopted". At about 5:10 p.m. local time, a health official in Tripoli increased the death toll from forty-eight to sixty-four. More anti-aircraft fire was heard in Tripoli at about 8:30 a.m. local time. At 9:00 p.m. local time the government once again called for a ceasefire. However, Al Jazeera reporters later questioned the spokesperson for the military, he replied that no one would in the public would be informed of this by media. At 10:26 p.m. local time a loud explosion was reported nearby Gaddafi's compound, Bab al-Azizia in Tripoli. It was confirmed by CNN that a building at the heart of the Azizia compound had been destroyed.

21 March

• It was reported by Al Manara Media, that Khamis al-Gaddafi, the leader of the Khamis Brigade and son of Muammar Gaddafi, had died from his injuries sustained when Muhammad Mokhtar Osman allegedly crashed his plane into Bab al-Azizia a week earlier. However, this was not confirmed by any other independent media. The crashing of the plane had also not been previously reported or confirmed by any other independent media except Al Manara.

• Swiss journalist Gaëtan Vannay, reporting from Zintan in Tripolitana, said the eastern environs of Zintan had seen fighting between rebels and attacking regime forces for the past two days. There was heavy shelling on the city by pro-Gaddafi forces.

• Following a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, Arab League Secretary-General Moussa, stated his support for the no-fly zone being implemented over Libya.

• The BBC News reported that the Libyan Permanent Mission to United Nations was now flying the former Libyan flag and an image of this flag appeared on the mission's official website which had also removed an image of Gaddafi from its index page.

• There were four pro-Gaddafi tanks on the road outside Ajdabiya, which fired on any vehicle that goes over a rise approaching the city.

• Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, stated that the execution of the no-fly zone was comparable to the medieval crusades. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev described Putin's comments as "unacceptable".

22 March

• Late 21 March, Al Arabiya quoted a Libyan government official who said administration of Misrata was re-taken by pro-Gaddafi regime, however rebels claimed that they still controlled the city. A caller from Misrata to CNN's Anderson Cooper 360° reported that there was still resistance. He also said that four government tanks were killing people, including children.

• Haaretz reported that the Commander of the International Coalition for Libya stated that civilians were being targeted by pro-Gaddafi forces in Misrata. A Misratan resident told The World Today that pro-Gaddafi forces in Misrata had been ordering people to march to the city square and demonstrate their support for Gaddafi's regime and that when an anti-Gaddafi demonstration broke out, the pro-Gaddafi forces fired into the crowd of 4,000 using heavy artillery and snipers, killing twenty-seven people.

• According to the results of a ComRes/ITN poll released on 21 March, one in three Britons agreed with the decision to take military action in Libya. The survey found that 43% disagreed with the action and 22% were unsure. However, a separate survey by YouGov showed the opposite result with a majority of Britons questioned supporting the campaign.

• According to a Guardian reporter embedded with the rebels, coalition forces began bombing Gaddafi forces around Adjabiya.

• A US F-15E warplane crashed in Libya; its pilots had minor injuries. One of the pilots was picked by a US V-22 Osprey and the other was picked up by the rebels. The crash was blamed on mechanical failure.

• In response to Russia's call for an immediate cease fire, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, "some Russians were swallowing Muammar Gaddafi's lies about civilian casualties in Libya" and said the coalition forces were doing their best to avoid civilian casualties.

• Hussein el Warfali, commander of the pro-Gaddafi Eagle Brigade in Tripoli, was reported killed.

• Plans by Coalition forces to hit Gaddafi's compound with Storm Shadow cruise missiles have been aborted as Journalists had been taken there to show them the damage from the original attack.

• Following an interview with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by ABC News, it was reported that "People close to Moammar Gadhafi are reaching out to allies around the world exploring their options". Clinton also stated that she was aware of reports that one of Gaddafi's sons had been killed in non-coalition air strikes but that the "evidence is not sufficient" for her to confirm this.

23 March

• Gaddafi's forces launched a heavy bombardment on the town of Zintan.

• His forces in Misrata captured the main hospital and positioned snipers on its roof. The opposition requested a hospital ship be sent to Misrata.

• Coalition forces launched air strikes on Gaddafi's forces within the city of Misrata itself. Coalition jets also launched air strikes against Gaddafi forces at Ajdabiya's eastern gate. People fleeing the city stated that only the center of the city remained in rebel hands while the outskirts were under government control.

• A British military officer claimed that Libya's air force "no longer exists as a fighting force" due to coalition air strikes and that coalition aircraft are now "operating with impunity" over Libya. Air Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell stated: "We've blown up all their airplanes."

• Libya's pro-democracy fighters formed an "interim government", headed by Mahmoud Jibril.

• Eight explosions from coalition bombings were heard after sunset in eastern Tripoli.

• Pro-Gaddafi forces re-entered Misrata and attacked its main hospital.

24 March: NATO takes command of naval operations

• Fourteen Tomahawk missiles were launched overnight in Libya by the allies, according to a spokesman for the US Africa Command in Germany.

• Fighting in both Ajdabiya and Misrata continued. Tanks re-entered Misrata after previously retreating. The regime attempted to capture Misrata's port with naval warships, but witnesses claimed they retreated. The coalition planned to step up air strikes on Ajdabiya and government positions, and was beginning to coordinate with rebels.

• A French fighter, destroyed Libyan pro-Gaddafi Soko G-2 Galeb single-engine military trainer aircraft which was breaking the no-fly zone.

• A member of the opposition forces claimed a major success – killing thirty government snipers in Misrata. He also said that all Libyan government military vessels have abandoned the port.

• The Al Jufra Air Base was bombed by French aircraft. Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim stated that the base was struck before dawn.

• A spokesman for the anti-Gaddafi forces said that Gaddafi troops in Ajdabiya were trying to surrender. Col. Ahmad Omar Bani stated that the anti-Gaddafi forces "received information from freedom fighters in Ajdabiya" saying "some Gaddafi fighters have offered to leave their tanks".

• NATO took command of the naval arms embargo.

25 March: NATO takes command of air operations

• The United Arab Emirates committed six F-16 and six Mirage fighters to help enforce the no-fly zone over Libya.

• Western warplanes bombed Gaddafi's tanks and artillery in eastern Libya to try to break a battlefield stalemate and help rebels take the strategic town of Ajdabiya. French and British jets bombed targets near Ajdabiya the eastern town overnight, including government forces' artillery.

• Gaddafi was said to be arming volunteers to fight the uprising against his rule.

• CNN reported that Canadian Lt. Gen. Charlie Bouchard was to command the NATO military air and sea operations under the name Operation Unified Protector.

• Abdul Ati al-Obeidi, a former prime-minister of the Gaddafi regime, stated that the Gaddafi regime was open to talks with the pro-democracy rebels and accept political reforms, possibly including elections.

Late March rebel offensive (26–28 March)

Main article: Late March 2011 Libyan rebel offensive

26 March

• Rebel forces recaptured Ajdabiya after Gaddafi forces retreated and with little threat also captured Brega; they also advanced towards Ra's Lanuf.

• The outskirts of Misrata were hit by airstrikes.

• Benghazi resident Iman al-Obeidi entered a Tripoli hotel, showed bruises and scars to foreign journalists and stated that she had been sworn at, tied up, urinated on and raped by fifteen pro-Gaddafi security officers, who had detained her for two days (photos:). Pro-Gaddafi security officers assaulted several journalists and removed the woman from the hotel. The security officers said that they were taking al-Obaidi to a hospital. Al-Obaidi said she was being taken to prison. Charles Clover, a journalist with the Financial Times who attempted to defend her from Gaddafi's security forces, was deported from Libya. Clover said that he had been told the night before to leave because of what Libyan government officials said were "inaccuracies in his reporting".

• Bilgasim Al-Ganga, number three in pro-Gaddafi forces, was said to have been detained by anti-Gaddafi forces.

• Gaddafi's forces heavily bombard Misrata, sometimes targeting residences. One family was reported killed by such a blast. Gunners on rooftops shot at anyone who went out onto the street.

• The French army issued its eighth press release on Opération Harmattan where it stated that at least five Soko G-2 Galeb fighter planes and two Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters that were preparing attack in Zintan and Misrata regions were shot down in the last twenty-four hours. They were making further analyses to have a more-precise assessment.

27 March

• Rebel fighters took control of the small town of Uqayla and the oil town of Ra's Lanuf.

• They also recaptured Bin Jawad, a hamlet another 50 km (31 mi) to the west as they moved towards Sirte, Gadaffi's hometown. With the capture of Bin Jawad, the rebels regained all the ground in the east they lost to the pro-Gaddafi counter-offensive in the days prior to the imposition of the UN-mandated no-fly zone.

• Rebel forces claimed to advance further along the coast, taking the town of An Nawfaliyah, 100 km (62 mi) from Sirte. Rebels said they planned to halt their advance there overnight as pro-Gaddafi forces were supposedly stationed 50 km (31 mi) down the road ready to defend Sirte.<refname=rec1/>

• NATO said it had agreed to take over command of the military operation that was enforcing UN resolutions on Libya.

• Eight people were killed and twenty-four wounded in Misrata as pro-Gaddafi forces fired mortars while advancing towards the city from the west.

• The rebels signed an oil export deal with Qatar, and announced that shipments of crude would start in "less than a week".

28 March

• National Transitional Council spokesman Shamsi Abdul Molah made the incorrect claim that the rebel forces had captured Sirte.

• Pro-Gaddafi troops used Grad multi-rocket launchers to bombard the city of Zintan from the north.

• Al Jazeera reported that pro-Gaddafi soldiers in the town of Jalu, some 200 km (124 mi) south of Ajdabiya, surrendered to rebel forces.

• Agence France-Presse reported that the rebels' advance on Sirte had been halted about 137 km (85 mi) from the edge of Sirte by pro-Gaddafi forces. The opposition forces seized An Nawfaliyah and were advancing towards an area called the Red Valley, but found it to be full of mines. Fighting was ongoing near An Nawfaliyah.

• Al Jazeera reported that Qatar became the third state (after France and Portugal) to recognize the National Transitional Council as the only official government of Libya.

• Pro-Gaddafi forces heavily bombard Misrata with tank shells and mortars from the north and northwest. Pro-Gaddafi snipers continued to shoot the city's residents. About 4,000 migrant workers, mostly Egyptians, were waiting by Misrata's port to be evacuated.

• By evening, the rebels had advanced to about 50 km (31 mi) from Sirte.

• UK jets bombed ammunition bunkers in southern Libya. The UK Defence Ministry also stated that several tanks and armoured vehicles were also destroyed, including "22 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery pieces in the vicinity of Ajdabiya and Misrata".

Second loyalist offensive (29–31 March)

29 March

• Pro-Gaddafi troops used heavy weaponry to force the rebels to retreat from Nawfaliya towards Bin Jawad.

• A US Lockheed P-3 Orion fired on a Libyan 12-meter patrol vessel after it launched missiles at merchant ships in the port of Misrata "to stop them from firing into the port, harming civilians and damaging other vessels". A US A-10 Thunderbolt II also fired on two smaller Libyan vessels traveling with the larger ship, destroying one and forcing the other to be abandoned.

• US Navy Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, US Joint Staff Director, confirmed the US had employed "A-10s and AC-130s over the weekend".

• The mother of Iman al-Obeidi said she had been asked to convince her daughter to retract the allegations in return for her freedom and cash or a new home. "Last night at 3, they called from Gaddafi's compound and asked me to convince my daughter Eman to change what she said, and we will set her free immediately and you can take anything you and your children would ask for," her mother stated.

• Rebels temporarily retreated from Bin Jawad after intense mortar fire, but returned and fighting continued directly west of Bin Jawad, according to the BBC News. Later, it confirmed that the rebels had once again retreated from Bin Jawad, this time some of them as far as Ra's Lanuf.

• The US Defense Department said that coalition forces launched 22 Tomahawk missiles overnight, while flying 115 strike sorties.

• US Secretary of State Clinton and an envoy from the opposition forces held talks in London.

30 March

• Forces loyal to Gaddafi recaptured the oil-refinery town of Ra's Lanuf forcing rebels to retreat further to the east. The coalition then began launching air-strikes against Gaddafi's forces around Ra's Lanuf and on the road to Uqayla. Reporters on the ground blamed a sandstorm and low visibility from the air for the lack of air-strikes the previous day. Later during the day, rebels were pulling out of Brega to Ajdabiyah. In the evening, BBC News reported that Brega was in control of pro-Gaddafi forces and Ajdabiya was coming under attack by loyalist troops.

• The UK government expelled five diplomats from the Libyan embassy in London stating that they "could pose a threat" to UK security.

• Rebel forces, suffering a shortage of skilled armored vehicle drivers, sent out an appeal by Free Libya radio for anyone who could drive a T-55 tank to report for duty immediately.

• It was reported that US Central Intelligence Agency and UK MI6 operatives were in Libya to gather intelligence for coalition airstrikes and make contacts with rebel forces.

• The UK government confirmed that the Libyan Foreign Minister, Moussa Koussa, had resigned and defected to the UK.

• The head of intelligence, the oil minister, the secretary of the Libyan General People's Congress and a deputy foreign minister also defected and escaped Libya.

31 March

Main article: Third Battle of Brega

• Explosions reportedly shook an eastern suburb of Tripoli, as warplanes staged a raid on the Libyan capital.

• NATO took sole command of air operations in Libya as US Central Intelligence Agency operatives worked the field to connect with rebel fighters who had seen their advance toward Tripoli halted.

• Rebels counter-attacked against Brega in an attempt to push out Gaddafi's forces. By late afternoon, coalition forces had bombed pro-Gaddafi forces near Brega. BBC Monitoring quoted a privately owned online newspaper, Libya al-Yawm, that Gaddafi's forces had been pushed back to the village of Bishr, west of the city. However, it was confirmed by rebel sources that street fighting was still ongoing in Brega. By the end of the day, pro-Gaddafi forces had repelled the rebel counter-attack and were in firm control of Brega.

• Libyan diplomat Ali Treki fled to Egypt and resigned. Gaddafi spoke out to those like him and called them "traitors", swearing to block their access back to the country once the war is over.

• According to Al Arabiya, Gaddafi's intelligence chief Abu Zayd Durda had fled to Tunisia. There were widespread unconfirmed reports that multiple additional high-level Gaddafi government officials were planning to defect.

• Gaddafi's spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, downplayed Koussa's defection by claiming that the former minister is "an old man who cannot take the pressure".

Early April (1–15 April)

1 April

• Gaddafi's forces intensified their attack on Misrata, using tanks, RPGs and artillery on civilian buildings.

• Rebel forces on the outskirts of Brega were bolstered by the arrival of a number of well-armed, seemingly well-trained soldiers in full military attire. It was not immediately clear where they were from.

• Al Jazeera reported that Swedish lawmakers approved a plan to send up to eight fighter jets and one transport plane to join the NATO-led air operations over Libya.

• Seven civilians died and twenty-five were wounded in a coalition air strike on a pro-Gaddafi convoy in eastern Libya. The strike hit a truck carrying ammunition, and the resulting explosion destroyed two nearby homes.

• NATO airstrikes destroyed a pro-Gaddafi military convoy attempting to enter Misrata.

• Rebels said neither side could claim control of Brega, one of a string of oil towns along the Mediterranean coast that had been taken and retaken by each side in recent weeks. Warplanes flew over Brega, followed by the sound of explosions.

• The Benghazi-based opposition offered a conditional ceasefire, but Gaddafi's government described its terms as "mad", saying it required the Gaddafi government to withdraw troops from cities.

• A rebel convoy near Brega fired into the air with an anti-aircraft gun, perhaps in celebration. A NATO A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft then returned fire and killed at least thirteen people.

2 April

• In the early morning, rebels managed to break through the eastern gate of Brega. They took control of most of the city from loyalist forces before loyalist artillery hit the rebels and by mid-afternoon the opposition forces had retreated from the town and were regrouping at a checkpoint to the east of the city. Later, the rebels managed once again to enter the town and took control of a part of it. However, a large number of Gaddafi's forces were holed up at the university and the rebels were still not able to get into the city center.

• AVAAZ.org created a signable petition with the goal of convincing Turkey to request the Gaddafi government to free al-Obeidi.

• Libya's rebel council named what it called a "crisis team", including a new armed-forces head, which was to administer parts of the country it was helping in its struggle to topple Gaddafi.

• In Misrata, after weeks of shelling and encirclement, pro-Gaddafi forces appeared to be gradually loosening the rebels' hold there, despite Western air strikes on pro-Gaddafi targets. The rebels said they still controlled the city center and the sea port, but Gaddafi's forces had pushed into the center along the main thoroughfare.

• NATO airstrikes kill 13 rebels in Brega.

3 April

• In the morning, the rebels advanced in an attempt to take Brega's university campus only to be ambushed and came up on roadside mines which led to a rebel retreat 30–35 kilometers (19–22 miles) from the town. Some of the better-trained rebels were still left behind on Brega's outskirts locked in skirmishes and artillery duels with Gaddafi's forces in the town.

• Gaddafi's forces shelled the town of Az Zintan, southwest of Tripoli.

• Water and electricity shortages worsened in Misrata, particularly on the outskirts of the city. The area near the central-city hospital was bombarded.

• The US agreed to NATO's request for a 48-hour extension of US participation in coalition air strikes against targets in Libya.

• Chairperson of the African Union travels to Europe to Discuss Libyan Crisis

4 April

• Chairperson of the African Union received in London by the Foreign Secretary

• Libyan rebels again advanced towards the oil town of Brega.

• Backed by coalition airstrikes, revolutionaries pushed back into Brega and were holding the eastern part of the town. Revolutionaries reported that Gaddafi's forces were leaving land mines after withdrawing from the area around Brega's university.

• Italy recognised the interim national council in Benghazi as its "only legitimate interlocutor" in Libya, Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Monday.

• In southern Libya, pro-Gaddafi forces attacked oil fields that supply the opposition-held oil terminal in Tobruk.

• A resident of a town in the Jabal al-Gharbi area, about 230 km southwest of the capital, told Agence France-Presse that Gaddafi's forces fired Grad rockets today at the town of Nalut, and that they were taken the town of Kekla.

5 April

• The Turkish navy intercepted a private ship from Benghazi that was carrying weapons, ammunition, and medical supplies to the people of Misrata. The Turkish navy refused to allow the ship to land at Misrata.

• Rebels pulled back, after a night of fighting, from inside Brega to the outskirts. They re-assembled at the eastern edge to prepare for further fighting. At that point, loyalist artillery started firing on the rebels which led to them pulling back from Brega's outskirts in a panicked retreat. After that, an eight-vehicle military convoy, belonging to Gaddafi's forces, approached the rebel's positions, 30 km (19 mi) east of Brega, it was hit by air strikes destroying two vehicles while the rest turned back. An Agence France-Presse reporter confirmed there were no fatalities among loyalist forces in the attack.

• An Al Jazeera correspondent reported that the defected 36th "AsSaiqa" battalion is attacking from the south of Brega in the desert. They are currently launching a heavy attack against Gaddafi's forces using Grad missiles. They have managed to push west once more towards the area of Arbaeen which has caused Gaddafi's forces to retreat. It is difficult to verify casualties right now, but four shells landed directly in an area where revolutionaries were congregated earlier. Ambulances were seen rushing to that area and they have not come back since.

• Defected interior minister and Major General Abdul Fatah Younis criticized NATO by saying it is not doing enough, and that "civilians are dying every day". Younis talked about how sewage in was being re-routed into water wells in Misrata by Gaddafi's forces, and that water supplies are running desperately short in Misrata.

6 April

• Al Jazeera English reported that the rebels in Nalut and Az Zintan entered Yifrin and helped their allies there to fight against Gaddafi loyalists. Armed with Kalashnikov rifles, they were able to drive Gaddafi's forces from Yifrin.

• An escaped prisoner reported that rebel soldiers captured by pro-Gaddafi forces were being tortured in an underground prison in Sirte.

• There was heavy fighting along the coastal road between Ajdabiya and Brega, Reuters reported. Gaddafi loyalists had been resupplied with ammunition. The rebels were, at that point, some 20 km (12 mi) away from Brega.

• The UK moved four Typhoon jets from policing the Libya no-fly zone to ground-attack roles following opposition criticism that NATO forces failed to protect Misrata. In a statement, the UK defence ministry said the move aimed at “further bolstering NATO's ground attack capability”.

• Rebels and loyalists continued to clash on the Brega-Ajdabiya road.

• During the early morning, a ship carrying 300 migrants from Libya capsized in rough seas off Italy. Survivors told of trying to reach rescue boats as those unable to swim screamed in the darkness and pulled one another under water. There was speculation that 250 people of the 300 died. If the number of dead is confirmed, it would be the deadliest crossing to Italy in recent memory and the worst refugee disaster since a wave of migrants began arriving in Italy in January after popular revolts in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The Italian Coast Guard rescued forty-eight people later in the day and a fishing boat picked up three after the vessel began taking on water shortly after 1 a.m.

• Chairperson of the African Union received In Rome by Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs

7 April

• A Libyan rebel tank convoy was mistakenly hit by a NATO air strike killing thirteen and wounding many. British admiral and NATO commander Russell Harding refused to apologize for this attack, saying that "until yesterday we didn't even know that the rebels possess any tanks", his task was to protect civilians and "it is not our task .. to improve communications with the rebels".

• Following the attack, Gaddafi loyalists chased the rebel forces to Ajdabiya, and both civilians and some rebels were on the verge of retreating from the city amid rumors Gaddafi's forces were preparing for an attack.
• The US might consider putting troops on the ground for a ground offensive, Army General Carter Ham said.
• NATO airstrikes kill 2 rebels and wound 10 in Brega.

8 April

See also: Battle of Brega-Ajdabiya road

• NATO confirmed it had bombed rebel tanks.
• UNICEF reported, based upon consistent reports from local sources, that pro-Gaddafi snipers in Misrata showed a pattern of indiscriminately targeting children. The Red Cross was sending a team on a boat to Misrata to investigate.
• The US Department of the Treasury announced new sanctions against five senior pro-Gaddafi persons: Baghdadi Mahmudi, Shukri Ghanem, Abdulhafid Zlitni, Tohami Khaled and Bashir Saleh. The US now had personal sanctions in place against sixteen people and had frozen over US$34 billion in overseas assets related to the Gaddafi regime.
• Gaddafi's forces attacked an eastern district of Misrata. After heavy fighting, they were pushed back. Earlier, rebels tried to cut off the main road with big containers in an attempt to isolate the snipers in the city center. However, the loyalists positioned one or two tanks on the main road to counter the rebels' attempt. These tanks were disabled by the rebels, and several of Gadaffi's snipers were killed or captured. Families were seeking refuge in schools and other buildings.

9 April

• The International Committee of the Red Cross announced that its 130-cubic-metre relief shipment had arrived in Misrata.
• During the morning, Gaddafi forces shelled the western outskirts of Ajdabiya. A Reuters correspondent reported hearing blasts and machine gun fire for around thirty minutes from the western boundary of the town, which is the gateway to Benghazi.
• Despite the UN no-fly-zone policy, the rebel side used an Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter.
• NATO warplanes intercepted a MiG-23 fighter jet operated by an opposition pilot, forcing him to land after he violated the no-fly zone.
• Several fighters were killed in Misrata; the clashes centered around the road leading to the port. NATO also attacked Gaddafi's forces in several locations.
• Meeting of the AU High-Level AD Hoc Committee on Libya

10 April

• Visit of the African Union High Level ad hoc Committee on the situation in Libya to Tripoli
• NATO announced that its Operation Unified Protector destroyed eleven tanks near Ajdabiya and fourteen near Misrata during the day.
• Anti-Gaddafi fighters said NATO airstrikes helped them hold Ajdabiya and drive Gaddafi's forces out during the weekend's attack. They said the loyalist incursion in western Ajdabiya lasted perhaps twenty-four hours and took thirteen civilian lives.
• BBC News reported that an African Union mission had arrived in Libya to try to negotiate a ceasefire between the rebels and the loyalists.

11 April

• NATO announced that its Operation Unified Protector destroyed eleven tanks on 11 April, twenty-five tanks on 10 April and forty-nine since 9 April.
• A rebel spokesman in Misrata said they saw no evidence of a ceasefire. Instead, pro-Gaddafi forces seemed to be stepping up their attack on the city, using Grad rockets for the first time. Intense street fighting continued.
• BBC News reported that the rebels rejected a peace plan presented by the African Union. The rebels said they were rejecting the truce because it did not include plans for Gaddafi to step down.

12 April

• On 12 April, rebel fighters claimed they took position 40 km (24 mi) west of the strategic town of Ajdabiyah after clashes with pro-Gaddafi forces that left at least three dead. Pro-Gaddafi forces bombarded the western entrance to Ajdabiya, a witness reported. Eight blasts, apparently from artillery, were heard by the witness.
• Reuters reported that pro-Gaddafi forces had attacked Zintan. The attacks for the most part were random firing from north of the town.
• Reuters also reported that rebels in Misrata repelled two attacks from pro-Gaddafi forces. The fighting was on Tripoli Street, which leads to the city center, and Nak el Theqeel Street, which leads to the city's port.

13 April

• NATO conducted air strikes against munitions bunkers 13 km (8.1 mi) from Tripoli.
• The Pentagon said on 13 April that US fighter jets had conducted strikes on Libyan air defenses even after NATO took command over operations in Libya. Colonel David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, said US aircraft had been dropping bombs on Libyan air defenses following the full handover earlier this month to NATO control of the coalition operation there. US officials had previously said that the US was limiting its current role in the operation to support and patrolling of a no-fly zone over Libya. Lapan said the US remained in a support role.

14 April

• Pro-Gaddafi forces again pounded Misrata, targeting the port where a medical aid ship was expected to dock and destroying a cement factory and cargo containers, residents said. At least twenty people were killed and more than twenty others were wounded in a dawn attack at the port and a nearby residential area, a medical assistant told CNN.
• Pro-Gaddafi forces fired anti-aircraft guns at NATO warplanes from positions in central Tripoli. Coalition jets appeared to have increased the amount of sorties flown over the capital and could be heard flying over throughout the morning and early afternoon. A NATO strike on Tripoli damaged parts of a university complex. Smoke was also seen on a military base, which was the target of the attack. Several people were injured.
• There was fierce fighting at the front line, halfway between Brega and Ajdabiya. Agence France-Presse reported that a convoy of sixty opposition vehicles came under heavy artillery and mortar fire. They rushed reinforcements to the front line between their territory in the east and the mainly government-held west. The AFP correspondent counted some 100 rebel vehicles heading to the front.
• The leaders of the BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – believe the situation in Libya should be resolved through diplomatic means, Russian President Medvedev said. “Like the other BRICS nations, Russia is deeply concerned by events in Libya and the civilian deaths there,” Medvedev said after a BRICS summit in Sanya, China.

15 April

• A ship with nearly 1,200 Asian and African migrants, many in bad shape after weeks with little food or water, left Misrata on Friday for Benghazi, the International Organization for Migration said. The chartered Greek vessel, Ionian Spirit, managed to unload 400 tonnes of aid supplies in Misrata overnight despite shelling on 14 April, the international aid agency said.
• NATO launched three new air strikes in and around Tripoli. They struck a missile battery and two other targets.
• Rebels claimed to have gained control over eastern Brega after heavy clashes.
• NATO strikes hit the area of al-Assah, about 170 km (110 mi) west of Tripoli.
• Pro-Gaddafi forces unleashed heavy shelling on Misrata, pushing troops and tanks into the rebel-held western city, a witness said.
• At the UN, Russia, China and India prevented sanctions from being imposed on Libyan state television.

Late April (16–30 April)

16 April

• Al Jazeera reported that there was still fighting going on in Brega, and the previous-day's attack had been repelled with heavy casualties on the opposition side.
• Sirte and Al-Hira were target areas in air strikes by NATO.

Rebel media claimed that:

• Pro-Gaddafi forces launched a Grad rocket attack on an industrial area in Misrata in the morning.
• Rebel forces advanced to the oil town of Brega, hoping to bring engineers to repair damage to the refineries and the terminal. The officer who reported this also attributed the advance to NATO airstrikes. However, by afternoon it was confirmed that the assault was repelled, with rebels not managing to enter the town.

17 April

• An Al Jazeera correspondent, from just outside Ajdabiya, reported that pro-Gaddafi troops had outflanked the body of rebel fighters on the edge of Brega and attacked Ajdabiya from the south. A sandstorm stopped NATO from targeting pro-Gaddafi forces, allowing the forces to overturn the rebel advances from the past few days. After a few hours of skirmishes, pro-Gaddafi forces forward units, engaging rebels on the western outskirts of Ajdabiya, pulled back. In the afternoon more than thirty vehicles of rebel reinforcements arrived in Ajdabiya.
• Reuters reported that nearly 4,000 Libyans had fled from the Western Mountains region to Tunisia in the past ten days. "They are in thousands. Hundreds arrived a few minutes ago. They are from several areas including Nalut, Yafran and Rajban," a Tunisian involved in helping Libyans arriving in the southern Tunisian border town of Dehiba said by phone. Residents fled the region because of shelling, fighting and threats by pro-Gaddafi forces.

18 April

• The humanitarian situation in Misrata worsened amid more shelling on the city and measures to get medical care were becoming increasingly desperate, an opposition spokesman said.
• The UK Mission to the UN announced that it would help 5,000 people trapped in Misrata "escape the besieged city and will provide vital medical assistance to those who remain in towns across western Libya," intending to evacuate foreign workers from the port.
• Three army officers, including a captain and a colonel defected to Tunisia by boat along with twenty Libyan civilians.
• In anticipation of UN approval for a ground mission in Misrata, the European Union prepared 1,000 troops for the mission.

19 April

• UNICEF announced that at least twenty children had been killed in weeks of fighting in Misrata. Many more were injured and traumatized by what they had seen and heard. The deaths and injuries were due to shrapnel from mortar and tanks and bullet wounds. The youngest victim was nine months old and most of the children killed in the past two weeks were younger than ten, a spokeswoman said.
• The UK said it was expanding its presence in Libya with military advisers and the EU said it was prepared to send troops for humanitarian assistance if requested by the UN.

20 April

• There was fighting on Misrata's Tripoli Street, but no shelling was taking place, an opposition fighter told Reuters.
• French President Nicolas Sarkozy promised NTC chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil that France would intensify air strikes on Gaddafi's army. Meanwhile, Italian Defense Minister La Russa, said that Italy would send ten army advisers to aid the rebels in Libya, after France and the UK announced they were also sending officers.
• The US decided to give opposition forces “non-lethal assistance" goods worth US$25 million after assessing their capabilities and intentions. The goods are to be delivered from existing US stocks and comprise "medical supplies, uniforms, boots, tents, personal protective gear, radios" and food.
• Photojournalists Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros died in Misrata while covering the civil war.
• NTC spokesman Ghoga told a news conference in Benghazi that the council was not opposed to foreign ground forces to protect a safe haven for civilians. "If that (protecting civilians) does not come except through ground forces that will ensure this safe haven, then there is no harm in that at all."
• Heavy mortar fire in Misrata killed at least ten and injured more than 100 others. Seven Libyan civilians and a Ukrainian doctor also died in the most recent fighting, doctors told Reuters, with about 120 people injured.
• Crown Prince Mohammed El Senussi spoke in front of the European Parliament calling for more support for Libya.

21 April

Main article: Battle of Wazzin

• Anti-Gaddafi forces expanded their control over areas of eastern and western parts of Misrata. Fighting subsided compared to previous weeks, while pro-Gaddafi forces continued to shell the city.
• Anti-Gaddafi forces took control of Wazzin on the Tunisian border after overrunning pro-Gaddafi troops. Roughly 100 pro-Gaddafi troops surrendered to Tunisian authorities as anti-Gaddafi forces overran Wazin. Among the troops were thirteen army officers, including a general. The Tunisian new agency reported that the soldiers had "defected" upon entering Tunisia. However, all of the 100 soldiers returned from Tunisia into Libya the next day.
• US Defense Secretary Gates announced that the US had made two armed Predator drones available to the NATO-led bombing effort.

22 April

• Anti-Gaddafi forces managed to clear the center of Misrata from snipers, and secure some vital buildings amidst fighting over the city
• Pro-Gaddafi forces attacked an opposition-held oil pumping station, officials from an oil company said. One witness said eight people were killed in the attack. The attack could delay efforts to restart production from the rebel-controlled Sarir and Messla oil fields, suspended after an earlier raid two weeks ago. The extent of the damage was not yet known.
• A Qatari military aircraft arrived in Tunisia to build an advanced field hospital in the Al-Zahabiyah area, near the border with Libya, to treat people injured in Al-Gaddafi brigades attacks. The plane carried a medical team, the first batch of equipment the hospital, 25 tonnes of medicines, medical supplies and ambulances.
• Pro-Gaddafi's forces withdrew from Misrata and claim they will allow the tribal leaders to deal with Anti-Gaddafi forces. Meanwhile, NATO continued its air strikes on Tripoli.

23 April

• NATO conducted air strikes on Tripoli in the early hours. AFP reporters said they heard several explosions after planes flew over, followed by anti-aircraft fire.
• An opposition spokesman in Misrata said the city was freed from pro-Gaddafi's forces on 23 April after a siege of nearly two months. There was no independent confirmation, but pro-Gaddafi troops captured by anti-Gaddafi forces in Misrata said the army had been ordered to retreat and the Libyan government said earlier that local tribes would take over the battle from the army. "Misrata is free, the rebels have won. Of Gaddafi's forces, some are killed and others are running away," anti-Gaddafi-forces spokesman Gemal Salem told Reuters by telephone from the city. He added that while pro-Gaddafi forces had retreated from the city, they were still outside and would be in a position to bombard it.
• Anti-Gaddafi forces started to bring in supplies – through the border crossing at Wazzin – to the towns under siege in the Nafusa Mountains. However, it was confirmed that Yefren had been taken by pro-Gaddafi forces. During the pro-Gaddafi push into Yefren's center, seven anti-Gaddafi troops were killed and eleven were wounded.
• Rebels claimed that air-strikes on pro-Gaddafi's forces located on the Al Zaitoniya – Al Soihat road near Ajdabiya reportedly hit twenty-one army vehicles belonging to pro-Gaddafi's forces. However, there was no independent or NATO confirmation of the claim. On the same day, pro-Gaddafi forces also shelled al-Faluja, a small village near Ajdabiya.

24 April

• There was a heavy bombardment of Misrata, according to an opposition spokesman. "Gaddafi’s brigades started random bombardment in the early hours of this morning. The bombardment is still going on. They targeted the city centre, mainly Tripoli Street, and three residential areas." NATO planes flew over, but there was no sign of air strikes.
• Pro-Gaddafi forces were stationed in a residential area in Brega in large numbers with around eight Grad batteries. When they tried to secretly surround Ajdabiya, NATO planes attacked them southwest of the city and in Mareer Qabes, an area northwest of the city.
• A NATO airstrike flattened a building inside Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziyah compound early Monday, in what a press official from Gaddafi's government said was an attempt on the Libyan leader's life.

25 April

• Witnesses said that rocket attacks on Misrata killed at least thirty and wounded sixty. "There is very intense and random shelling on residential areas. Burned bodies are being brought into the hospital," an employee of dissident radio station in Misrata said. "The number of wounded is 60 and the there were 30 martyrs. This is the toll for the past 12 hours," he added.
• Four people were killed as pro-Gaddafi forces attacked Zintan with Grad rockets, according to residents. Nine people were wounded in the attack which happened late on 24 April. Pro-Gaddafi forces fired between six and nine rockets, which crashed into homes.
• US officials said the attack on Tripoli, carried out by two Norwegian F16s was intended to degrade 'command and control', the goal was not to assassinate Gaddafi. However, had he been at the site, he would have been a "legitimate target".
• The BBC News reported that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi approved the use of Italian aircraft for ground attack missions in Libya as part of Operation Unified Protector.
• The Voice of Russia reported that rebels were growing active in the loyalist-held towns of Yafran, Zlitan, and Abu Ruwayya, threatening loyalist communication lines into Misrata. Guerrilla attacks were also reported to be occurring in Az Zawiyah, which was occupied by pro-Gaddafi forces in mid-March following the prolonged and bloody Battle of Az Zawiyah.
• African Union held a consultative meeting on Libya at ministerial level

26 April

• The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 275th Meeting, situation in Libya
• The African Union High Level Ad Hoc Committee on Libya Convenes its Fourth Meeting in Addis Ababa
• Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the Activities of the AU High Level AD HOC Committee on the Situation in Libya
• Pro-Gaddafi forces reinforced their position around Brega. They dug in their long-range missile batteries to conceal them from NATO warplanes, according to an opposition commander.
• A ship chartered by the World Food Programme delivered more than 500 metric tonnes of food assistance, three ambulances, medical supplies and other relief items on behalf of humanitarian partners to Misrata. It also offloaded 150 metric tonnes of mixed food including pasta, rice, potatoes; 84 metric tonnes of bottled water; 12 metric tonnes of medicines and three ambulances on behalf of UNICEF, and other international aid organisations. This was the second delivery of the programme.

• It was reported that Russia had said it would not support any UN Security Council resolutions on Libya which could escalate the conflict in Libya. “If a resolution leads to a further escalation of a civil war by any means, including outside intervention, we will not be able to support this,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying by Interfax. Russian Prime Minister Putin had said that the coalition has no mandate to kill Gaddafi.
• Gaddafi's regime was circumventing sanctions by importing gasoline from Italian refiner Saras, taking advantage of a loophole in the UN sanctions that permits purchases by companies not on a UN list of banned entities. In early April, a cargo ship sailed from Italy to La Shikhra, Tunisia, where it transferred its load onto a Libyan ship.
• US President Obama authorized US$25 million in non-lethal aid to anti-Gaddafi forces.

27 April

• Devastation mounts in Misrata after heavy shelling on port.
• Gaddafi forces have started firing mortar rounds at a district in the west of the city of Misrata, an opposition spokesman said on Wednesday. “They (pro-Gaddafi forces) attacked the Abu Rouia area, in the west of Misrata. They carried out intense bombardment, using mortars,” the spokesman, called Safieddin, told Reuters from the city.
• NATO airstrikes kill 11 rebels and wound 2 in Misrata.

28 April

• The evacuation ship Red Star has finally managed to leave the port of Misrata for Benghazi. It had first been prevented from docking and then from leaving as Gaddafi forces continuously shelled the port. The ship is carrying nearly 1,000 migrant workers and 25 seriously injured.
• Loyalist forces re-captured Kufra, the main city in Libya's Al Jawf region. There were no reports of casualties in the fighting for the town after the rebels put up only light resistance.
• Gaddafi forces re-captured the Wazzin border crossing with Tunisia after a swift advance in which they pushed the rebels back over the border into Tunisia where the fighting continued on the edge of the Tunisian border town of Dehiba.

29 April

• Libyan opposition fighters manned a checkpoint on the road leading out of Ajdabiya westwards toward regime-held Brega on Thursday, signaling a possible stalemate in the ongoing conflict for lack of progress by either side. Opposition fighters erected barricades near the western entrance of Ajdabiya, the last major town before Benghazi and the key oil exporting terminal of Tobruk.
• Rebels claimed for a third time in a row to had re-taken the Wazzin border post after a night of heavy fighting. However, Al Jazeera confirmed that the Gaddafi green flag of Libya was still flying over the border post thus proving that government troops were still in control.
• Air strikes hit Gaddafi forces surrounding the town of Zintan.
• Gaddafi forces have bombarded the opposition at the Wazin border crossing. A Tunisian told Reuters that very heavy bombardment was going on and they were trying to retake the crossing.
• Libyan state TV has threatened that any ship that tries to enter Misrata’s port will be attacked, regardless of the justification. It also said that regime attacks have rendered the port “non-functional”.

30 April

• Fighting is shifting to edges of Libyan city of Misrata, turning small village clinics into trauma centres, witnesses told Al Jazeera.
• Libyan state television says NATO had bombed close to the TV building during Gaddafi's speech early on Saturday morning.
• Libyan state media and government officials claimed that Gaddafi's youngest son, Saif al-Arab al-Gaddafi, was killed by a NATO air strike on the night of 30 April. Three of Gaddafi's grandchildren were allegedly killed in the same strike.
• Eyewitnesses in the embattled Libyan city of Misrata reported especially intense shelling by Moammar Gaddafi's forces overnight. "There's been continuous and heavy shelling for three hours straight," said one man, talking to CNN from about three miles from Misrata's city center Sunday. "There have been a lot of explosions."

May

1 May

• Shells fired at the Libyan/Tunisian border near Wazzin land in Tunisia; no casualties have been reported.
• Moscow strongly condems NATO for bombing Gaddafi's complex, stating that their mandate was to 'protect, not kill Libyans'.
• NATO stated that the Libyan government has no evidence of Saif's death, and furthermore claimed that what the Libyan government has called a "residence" actually held an underground bunker which is used as a command and control center and that was the target.
• The Times of Malta reported its contacts in Misurata said soldiers loyal to Gaddafi had been issued gas masks and are wearing them in and around the city. The report came amidst fears Gaddafi could use chemical weapons to retaliate for his son's reported death.
• The British and Italian embassies came under attack, and this along with general unrest has prompted the removal of the British ambassador and U.N. international staff. An estimated £130,000 worth of art at the U.K. mission was destroyed. Meanwhile, Gaddafi claims the building hit in the Saturday strike was not a command center.

2 May

• Fighting took place in Western Libya, around Zintan.

3 May

• Rebels are low on money and hope for funding from Western powers.

4 May

• Loyalists have attacked Misrata's port.

5 May

• U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the Obama administration hopes to free a small portion of the more than $30 billion it has frozen in Libyan assets to support opponents of Moammar Gadhafi, pending approval from Congress.
• Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands denied rebel claims that their governments recognize the Transitional National Council in lieu of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
• Turkey released a plan hoping for a ceasefire between the warring Libyans. The plan failed to materialize.
• Statement of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Jean Ping, at the Meeting of the International Contact Group on Libya

6 May

• Amnesty International accuses Gaddafi's regime of committing war crimes in Misurata by 'deliberately targeting and killing civilians.'

7 May

• Loyalist forces hit the main fuel depot in Misrata on Saturday.
• Forces loyal to Gaddafi attacked the remote eastern oil town of Jalu in the Libyan desert on Saturday, but the town remains in rebel hands, a rebel spokesman said.
• Forces loyal to Gaddafi bombed large fuel storage tanks in Misrata, destroying the tanks and causing a large fire.
• Loyalist forces have put a number of mines in Misrata.

8 May

• The national forum of leaders and dignitaries of the Libyan tribes have called for a debate to promulgate a new constitution and described as void all agreements and commitments proposed by the National Transitional Council with any foreign country.

11 May

• Libyan rebel forces capture Misrata airport after hours of overnight fighting, burning government tanks as loyalist forces retreated.
• The first shipment of non-lethal US aid to the Libyan opposition arrived in Benghazi.
• While human rights organizations warn of indiscriminate attacks in the Nafusa mountains, refugees speak of kidnappings in the village of Ghezaya which is surrounded by Gaddafi’s troops.
• The Minister of the Foreign Affairs of Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski as a first member of the Contact Group on Libya was in Benghazi. During the visit, Poland provided medical aid to injured civilians. Sikorski met with representatives of the Interim Transitional National Council, including its chief Mustafa Abdul Jalil.

13 May

• Libyan rebels' foreign minister set to request financial assistance during talks with US officials in Washington.
• Pressure is mounting on Muammar Gaddafi from within his stronghold in the Libyan capital, with increasing NATO airstrikes and worsening shortages of fuel and goods. An activist said on Friday that there has also been a wave of anti-government protests in several Tripoli neighborhoods this week.
• Gaddafi states in an audio clip to NATO saying "you cannot kill me."
• A NATO airstrike at dawn killed at least 16 civilians, according to Libya state TV, including a group of Muslim religious leaders who were holding a religious ceremony. NATO at first denied any knowledge of the incident, later admitting to striking a building labelled as a command and control bunker.

15 May

• Pro Gaddafi forces withdrew from the city of Misrata which had been under siege for almost three months. Opposition forces declared the battle for the city to be over and advanced to the Dafniya area to the west and the Tawergha area to the east, establishing a defensive perimiter around Misrata .

16 May

• Thousands of telecommunications workers vow to act as human shields against NATO airstrikes targeting communications buildings, which have suffered $1.25 billion in damages.

17 May

• The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has issued a request for an arrest warrant against Gaddafi for 'crimes against humanity.'
• Tunisia warned Libya for the second time to prevent its troops from firing towards Tunisia, threatening a diplomatic response from the U.N. Security Council.

18 May

• Canada announces the acquisition of 1300 "smart bombs".

20 May

• NATO airstrikes targeted several ships in Tripoli's port, a loyalist asset which had become an increasing threat to the waters off Misrata. Meanwhile, opposition forces battled with Gaddafi forces for control of two major highways in the Nafusa mountain range.

22 May

• NATO launched airstrikes near Gaddafi's complex in Tripoli while a bus carrying foreign journalists was attacked by civilians armed with guns and knives while waiting to refuel at a Tripoli petrol station.
• Though loyalist forces continue to launch attacks and shell the city from its outskirts, opposition forces claim liberation of the city of Misrata, besieged since February by Gaddafi's troops.

23 May

• France and the United Kingdom announce plans to use attack helicopters in order to increase NATO's accuracy and ability to strike urban targets.
• Democrats and Republicans from the American senate have agreed on a resolution allowing American military intervention in Libya.

24 May

• More than 20 NATO airstrikes hit Tripoli near Gadhafi's compound in the largest offensive attack on the capital since foreign intervention began. At least three people were reported killed and dozens wounded according to government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim.

25 May

• South African President Jacob Zuma has announced plans to visit Gaddafi in Tripoli next week to discuss a find a "lasting solution" to the current crisis there. He clarified earlier statements and insisted that the visit was not necessarily to find an "exit strategy" for Gaddafi, sowing doubt as to whether Gaddafi would concede to surrendering power, a demand the NTC insists is not negotiable.
• Khaled Kaim, Libya's deputy foreign minister allegedly claimed that the Gaddafi administration saw all options open in future negotiations and that Gaddafi might step down if terms were agreed upon by both sides.

26 May

• Gadhafi's PM sends letters to foreign governments looking to negotiate ceasefire in Libya.
• French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Libya's Col Muammar Gaddafi to step down as "all options are open."
• Libya's EU ambassador Hadeiba Hadi defected from the Gadhafi regime along with his staff.
• The African Union High-Level Ad Hoc Committee on Libya Convened Its 5th Meeting in Addis Ababa
• The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Meets With UN Secretary General, on the Margins of the AU Extraordinary Summit
• Meeting of the High Level Ad Hoc Committee on Libya, at the Level of Heads of States

27 May

• NATO Allies reject the most recent Libyan cease-fire offer.
• Russia joins many Western countries' demands for Gaddafi to leave power.
• A total of 151 sorties were conducted which included 45 strike sorties. Key hits were as follows: In Tripoli: 1 Command & Control Facility. In the vicinity of Sirte: 1 Ammunition Storage Facility. In the vicinity of Mizdah: 1 Ammunition Storage Facility. In the vicinity of Misratah: 1 Rocket Launcher, 2 Truck-Mounted Guns. In the vicinity of Hun: 1 Ammunition Storage Facility. In the vicinity of Zintan: 4 Surface-To-Air Missile Launchers.
• As of 27 May a total of 20 NATO ships were actively patrolling the Central Mediterranean.

28 May

• NATO jets fired on and destroyed the guard towers surrounding Gaddafi's Tripolitanian military complex, Bab al-Aziziya, as the United Kingdom announces plans to send four Apache helicopters to aid in the conflict.

29 May

• More than 100 tribal and community leaders from Libya met with members of the National Transitional Council at a conference in Istanbul, Turkey during the weekend (28-29 May). The delegates called for an end to violence in Libya and the departure of Libyan leader Gaddafi and his sons. Most of the tribal leaders gathered were from the large Warfalla clan, based in the region around Bani Walid.

30 May

• As many as 120 of Gaddafi's military officials and soldiers were reported to have defected by Libyan U.N. Ambassador Abdurrahman Shalgam, a former Gaddafi official now in support of the opposition. Among the high-ranking officials who defected (which includes five generals, two colonels, and a major), General Oun Ali Oun was quoted as saying during a Roman press conference, "There is a lot of killing, genocide...violence against women. No wise, rational person with the minimum of dignity can do what we saw with our eyes and what he asked us to do."
• Al Jazeera English reported that "unprecedented protests" occurred in Tripoli. Large demonstrations such as these had previously been limited by the heavy security presence, indicating the growing boldness of the populace of Tripoli. The protesters were eventually dispersed by live fire from security forces.

31 May

• Fighting broke out in the pro-Gaddafi stronghold of Bani Walid (see also 29 May) between rebels and Gaddafi soldiers, in which 13 rebels and 3 loyalists were killed. Nine of the rebels were killed as prisoners of war, and government forces refused to give the bodies of the dead rebels back to their families.
• The U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya has said that the food supplies in parts of Libya that Gaddafi controls may run out within weeks causing crisis among the general populace.
• The Libyan government claims NATO air raids have killed 718 civilians and injured more than 4000 since the bombing campaign to enforce a no-fly zone began.

June

1 June

• NATO extends its mission to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 for an additional ninety days. The U.N. Human Rights Council declared that their fact-finding mission found Colonel Gaddafi guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• Shukri Ghanem, head of Libya's National Oil Corporation and former Libyan prime minister, defected from the Gaddafi administration due to "unbearable violence". Despite uncertainty at first over joining the opposition, he later declared his support to the NTC in a Roman news conference.
• Rebel forces report that Shakshuk, near the city of Jadu and well within Gaddafi territory, was captured.
• Four car explosions triggered by a hand grenade damaged the Tibesti Hotel in Benghazi, a hotel using by the NTC and residence of many foreign journalists. Despite damage to the hotel, there were no injuries or casualties.

2 June

• Cooling international concern, the Libyan opposition has downplayed concerns of oil contract re-negotiation as they meet with the leaders in Libya's oil industry.
• NATO air attacks destroyed ammunition and vehicles depots, a SAM launcher, and a radar installation in the capital.

3 June

• Two RAF Apache helicopters attacked a radar site and an armed checkpoint near Brega, the next logical waypoint in the opposition's campaign westward. French Gazelles were reported to have simultaneously been out on mission, marking the first time the helicopters were used by NATO.
• Opposition fighters reportedly liberated the western towns, Qasr el-Haj, Shakshuk, and Bir Ayyad of loyalist forces.

4–5 June

• Army Air Corps Apache gunships, launched from the HMS Ocean, destroyed several targets near the Brega-Ajdabiya front line including ammunition bunkers and radar installations while the French Gazelles also hit numerous targets around Brega in preparation for the perceived upcoming rebel offensive on the ground.
• Libyan state media was under attack today because they told foreign reporters that a child who was injured in a NATO airstrike sustained her injuries in an unrelated car crash. This information was apparently passed to the foreign reporters in a note, at the hospital where she was situated.
• The Netherlands and Denmark deny recognition of the National Transitional Council as the authority of Libya after rebels claimed such.

6 June

• The mountain town of Yafran, roughly 100 km (60 mi) southwest of Tripoli was reported to be under opposition control. The towns of Nalut and Zintan were reported to be "relatively quiet" by the opposition, though independent verification of this has not yet been made possible.
• Additionally, NATO airstrikes leveled the offices of Libyan State TV and Gaddafi's military intelligence in Tripoli, though Libyan state authorities claim only the latter was destroyed. Areas under opposition control report disruption of state TV broadcasts.
• In order to be knowledgeable of the terrain ahead, opposition forces in Misrata have been training men smuggled out of Zliten while coordinating their efforts with the city's tribal chiefs prior to launching any offensive westward.

7 June

• Colonel Gaddafi appeared live and vowed to stay in Libya "dead or alive" as NATO launched some of its most destructive airstrikes yet, targeting key loyalist military installations of the Libyan secret police, Revolutionary Guard, and Popular Guard.
• Libyan Labour Minister, Al-Amin Manfur, defected and joined the opposition at a meeting of the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
• There are some reports that one of Gaddafi's sons, Al-Mu'tasim-Billah al-Gaddafi was killed in an airstrike that was conducted by NATO.
• It was reported on 7 June that Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr was executed by Gaddafi for refusing to carry out orders to kill protesters. It might be true since Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr has not appeared on national Libyan television, and there has been no outside communication with him.

8 June

• Loyalist forces took advantage of a break in heavy airstrikes to launch a large attack on Misrata as well as the mountain city of Zintan, but did not make any gains.
• Spain announced its designation of the National Transitional Council as the sole legitimate government of Libya.
• As International Criminal Court judges debate issuing arrest warrants for Gaddafi and his confederates, the organization's chief prosecutor announced that it had received reliable reports that the Gaddafi administration was buying large quantities of "Viagra-type drugs" in order to encourage soldiers to rape supporters of the opposition.

9 June

• Nations supporting the opposition have agreed to finance the National Transitional Council with over $1.1 billion USD as the rebel finance minister announced plans to gradually restore oil exports in the west.
• The United States and Australia recognized the NTC as the legitimate interlocutor of Libya, one step below formal diplomatic recognition.
• Opposition forces claim that over a dozen of Gaddafi's high-ranking military officials defected while rebels in the key mountain city of Zintan attempted to establish control.

10 June

• Chairperson of the African Union participates as Invitee in the third meeting of the International Contact Group on Libya
• The African Union calls for Gaddafi to step down as Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, the leader of the AU Libya mediation team announces that Gaddafi "can no longer lead Libya."
• The city of Misrata continued to be bombarded by loyalist forces while clashes between Gaddafi's forces and rebel fighters erupted in the neighboring city of Zliten. Ghadames, an oasis town bordering Tunisia, was shelled by loyalist forces for the first time.
• The leader of a United Nations inquiry into human rights violations in Libya expressed his skepticism over any official rape policy by the Gaddafi administration. He cited that alleged statistical evidence was never received by officials and that the allegations were a result of "mass hysteria". The allegations were based on surveys supposedly delivered through the postal system, but it was inoperable during the period it was claimed to have been used. Both loyalist and opposition parties accuse one another of committing war crimes according to the investigation. However, a senior U.N. official defended the validity of the claim, citing "consistent reports from people, from organisations, from UN entities and others on the ground."

11 June

• Rebels in Zawiya, a city just 50 km (30 mi) from the capital, won control of some sections, marking the first significant clashes between loyalist and opposition forces since it was recaptured by Gaddafi's troops in March. Due to the ongoing fighting, loyalist forces closed down a highway that crosses the town, a key expressway for Gaddafi's war effort. A spokesman for the National Transitional Council explained that many of the rebels that fled Zawiya during its fall to Gaddafi in March had been training in the mountains in preparation.
• Rebels reported that two of Gaddafi's sons were in command of the loyalist offensive at Zlitan/Misrata front. One of these is Khamis al-Gaddafi, commander of the Khamis Brigade, a special forces brigade loyal exclusively to Gaddafi and reportedly one of the few loyalist brigades still intact. A day earlier he had been quoted telling his troops, "Take Misurata or I will kill you myself. If you don’t take Misurata, we are finished."

12 June

• A government spokesman alleged that the rebels were defeated in Zawiyah after hours of fighting. A group of foreign reporters were taken from Tripoli to Zawiyah for confirmation of the loyalist victory. The reporters confirmed that fighting had ceased throughout the areas they toured though they did not enter the western portion. Only hours earlier, rebels claimed to have surrounded loyalists in the west at three sides. The government further alleged that opposition forces had been pushed out of the city and surrounded on the edge of Zawiyah. Reporters were unable to independently verify this, however. This was potentially confirmed when a reporter heard several gun shots west of the city center and a rebel fighter in the town stating that fighting was still taking place.
• A force of 130 rebels attempted to advance on Brega but were repelled and pulled back to Ajdabiya. At least 25 of the opposition fighters were killed and 65 wounded during the offensive, with a rebel commander later claiming many casualties were suffered when loyalist troops feigned a surrender under a white flag, then fired on rebel soldiers as they approached.
• Loyalist forces shelled Zintan from a distance as it remained under rebel control.
• The United Arab Emirates announced its full diplomatic recognition of the National Transitional Council as the legitimate government of Libya.

13 June

• German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle announced that the National Transitional Council was "the legitimate representative of the Libyan people," but it was not a full diplomatic recognition.
• Contact with the rebel spokesman in Zawiyah, who was updating journalists on the fighting there, had ceased and the highway running through Zawiyah toward the Tunisian border was re-opened, indicating that the fighting had stopped and the earlier reports of a rebel defeat were true. Foreign journalists were taken on a tour along the highway, confirming that traffic wasn't being re-routed anymore around Zawiyah, as was done at the beginning of the battle.
• Libyan rebel forces advanced from Misrata to within six miles of the neighboring city of Zliten, 160 km (99 mi) east of Tripoli.
• Loyalist troops launched six missile attacks on an oil refinery in Misrata, though the oil storing facilities were reported to not have been damaged.

14 June

• Loyalist forces fired several Grad rockets which landed within the Tunisian border. No injuries or damage were reported, and it was not immediately clear why this occurred.
• Rebel fighters expelled Gaddafi troops from the town of Kikla, 150 km (90 mi) southwest of Tripoli, and immediately began fortifying their positions. Later reports announced that the opposition had seized the town of Ryayna, 15 km west of Zintan. Rebels based in Misrata managed to move the front lines several kilometers west, closer to Zliten, after fierce fighting. Despite a renewed rebel offensive towards Brega, negligible progress was made on the eastern front.
• Canada recognized the National Transitional Council as the sole legitimate government of Libya while Liberia announced it was cutting formal diplomatic relations with the Gaddafi administration.
• The United States House of Representatives approved an amendment blocking additional funding for its military operations in Libya, effectively limiting the length of time U.S. forces can continue their operation to two more months, without an approval from Congress.

15 June

• NATO jets resumed airstrikes on the capital overnight, bombarding it primarily in the east. Additionally, a NATO commander confirmed that warplanes bombed an ammunition store at Waddan in the center of the country.
• Tunisia announced it is ready to recognize the rebels as the sole legitimate government of Libya. It gave three reasons for this action: that the shelling of its own people rendered Gaddhafi's government illegitimate, that it still resented Gaddhafi's support to Ben Ali during the Tunisian Revolution, and that Gaddhafi's shelling of its territory had rendered its previous strategy of neutrality ineffective.
• The UN Security Council had its 6555th meeting and situation in Libya was discussed. The meeting did not result in any decisions, since the Security Council heard the statement made by the African Union Ad Hoc High-Level Committee on Libya

17 June

• Rebels rejected Qaddafi proposal to hold elections in 3 months.
• Swedish Parliament withdraws three fighter jets and sends marines to Libya. Sweden extends participation in NATO Libya mission.
• Italy signed an accord with the head of Libya's interim rebel government on Friday to jointly tackle a migration crisis triggered by the violence.
• Colonel Gaddafi made an audio speech on state TV, saying NATO will be defeated. He said that it's the first time that NATO is facing an armed people.
• According to CNN, thousands of people gathered in Tripoli to show their support for Gaddafi. This was one of the few times when Western media aired pictures of a massive pro-Gaddafi demonstration.

18 June

• NATO says Libya uses mosques as shields.

19 June

• At least five people have died in a NATO air strike that hit a house in the Libyan capital Tripoli, Libyan government officials say.
• NATO admits that it accidentally hit a civilian neighborhood in an airstrike.
• Citing multiple sources, CNN reports that several anti-Gadhafi protests took place in Tripoli on 17 June, with protesters numbering in the hundreds. Pro-Gadhafi forces opened fire on the protesters with live ammunition, resulting in three deaths.

20 June

• Rebels claim to have cut off the supply of crude oil to Zawiyah from the Awbari oil field at Rayayna.
• The European Union toughened its sanctions on Gadhafi's regime by adding six port authorities controlled by Gaddafi's forces to its asset-freeze list, stating that Gaddafi "had lost all legitimacy to remain in power".
• Gaddafi government officials claimed that NATO killed 19 civilians in the town of Surman, 70 km west of Tripoli. This comes only a day after NATO admitted to accidentally killing civilians in a separate airstrike in Tripoli. NATO stated that the target in Surman was a military command and control node.

21 June

• An unmanned NATO MQ-8 helicopter drone crashed due to enemy fire near Zliten while conducting reconnaissance.

23 June

• Advancing rebels in the Nafusa mountains discovered supplies left behind by the fleeing Gaddafi troops, which included Turkish humanitarian food rations which were discovered to have been manufactured in a factory in Turkey after the UN sanctions were in place, casting doubt on Turkey's commitment to the mission. The rations were first found in Shakshuk and then at three other former Gaddafi strongholds. This prompted sharp criticism from a rebel military commander, among others.
• Brazilian minister of external affairs Chancellor Antonio Patriota condemned the ostensible usage of antipersonnel mines by government forces in civilian areas. This was related to the discovery and deadly effect of Brazilian-made landmines upon rebel troops and civilians, even though Brazil, a party to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, has not legally manufactured or exported antipersonnel landmines since 1989.

24 June

• More Libyan soldiers and police officers flee to Tunis by using boats.
• Turkey denied the allegations that it had sent rations to Gaddafi, as did the company whose label was found on the ration packages. The latter suggested that the food may have ended up in the hands of the Libyan government without the company (UNIFO)'s knowledge; it furthermore stated that food was "not military" in nature.

26 June

• African leaders are meeting in Pretoria, South Africa to try to come up with a peace proposal. No representatives of the Gaddafi regime, or of the opposition are present at the talks because the opposition holds that Gaddafi must give up his seat before they will take part in any negotiations.
• Opposition troops are believed to have advanced to just north of Bir Ayad near Bir al-Ghanam which is 52 km south of Zawiya, a western gateway to Tripoli.

27 June

• The ICC at the Hague issues an arrest warrant for Muammar Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and his head of intelligence. It is only the second time in the court's history that it has issued an arrest warrant for a sitting head of state.

28 June

• Rebels raided a loyalist army base at El Ga'a, 25 miles south of Zintan (31.69149°N 12.33202°E / 31.69149; 12.33202) after it was hit by a NATO bomb. They captured ammunition and other equipment.
• Both Croatia and Bulgaria recognize the National Transitional Council as a legitimate representative of the Libyan people.
• Eight Libyan civilians were killed and several others wounded when a NATO warplane targeted a Libyan town of Tawragha, 300 km east of the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

29 June

• The French military has confirmed that it air dropped weapons in June to Libyan rebels fighting in the highlands south of the capital, in violation of the UN arms embargo. While key NATO allies are arguing the need to protect civilians set out in UN resolution 1973 overrides this, the French military is facing criticism for overstepping the resolution, especially from the African Union and Russia.

30 June

• British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the U.K. was offering 5,000 sets of body armor, 6,650 uniforms, 5,000 high-visibility vests and communications equipment to help police protect rebel leaders and international officials.
• The Czech Republic recognizes the National Transitional Council as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people, and delivered aid to Libyan hospitals.

July

1 July

• Libyan rebels came close to Bi'r al Ghanam, but retreated after being met with rocket fire.
• Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Gaddafi's son, claimed that NATO has offered the regime an "under the table" deal that would see the international arrest warrants against both men dropped.
• In an exclusive interview with RT, Saif Gaddafi denies that he or anyone ordered killings of demonstrators in the early days of the uprising. He says that soldiers acted in self defense as they were attacked by mobs.
• Gaddafi warned Western allies that bombing of houses and offices in Europe would be a "legitimate target" since those are targeted in Libya. Gaddafi's taped message was broadcast to tens of thousands of supporters gathered in Green Square in Tripoli. This was one of the biggest demonstrations in recent troublesome months, as thousands of Gaddafi supporters gathered in Tripoli’s main square to show that the Libyan leader still boasts serious support from his people.
• According to the Libyan Health Ministry 856 Libyan civilians has been killed by NATO air strikes since March.

2 July

• The Daily Telegraph reports that Sudanese army seizes southern Libyan town of Kufra. Sudanese officials have denied this.
• African Union Calls for Qaddafi to Stay Out of Libya Talks to End Conflict.
• Heavy shelling fell on the besieged port city of Misrata and the embattled city of Dafniya, where fighting wounded 11 rebels.

3 July

• Libya rebels brace for new push to Tripoli.
• NATO is ramping up its airstrikes on military targets in western Libya, bombing Tripoli and Gharyan, a city about 70 miles south of Tripoli as well as armored vehicles in Bir al-Ghanam.
• Turkey recognizes the National Transitional Council as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people.

5 July

• Pro-Gaddafi troops state that they have captured a shipment of Qatari weapons that were headed to rebels by boat.

6 July

• Rebel fighters took the village of Al-Qawalish which is about 90 km (55 miles) south of Tripoli. The importance of Al-Qawalish is that it brings the opposition to within 30 km (20 miles) from the strategic garrison town of Gharyan held by Gaddafi's troops and which dominates the main North-South road between Tripoli and the Sahara desert. The rebels claim that Gaddaffi stores weapons in the Sahara desert and recruits fighters from neighbouring countries there.

7 July

• ­Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said there cannot be a quick outcome in Libya and that will lead to many casualties on both sides. ­Lavrov said NATO put itself in a difficult situation because it has already been bombing Libya longer than it bombed what was Yugoslavia. The minister called NATO’s actions in Libya cynical, because the alliance continues bombings, claiming they are aimed at ending Gaddafi’s regime and ignoring the fact that they have already taken many civilian lives.
• Chinese diplomat Chen Xiaodong, in charge of North African affairs at the Foreign Ministry of the People's Republic of China, met National Transitional Council members in Benghazi.

8 July

• Gaddafi issued another audio message broadcast through state television, exclaiming that NATO, the rebels and others who oppose his rule will be trampled "under the feet of the Libyan masses," and also repeated his threats of violence against NATO member states in Europe, saying that "Hundreds of Libyans will martyr in Europe. I told you it is eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth." Celebratory gunfire was heard in Tripoli following the broadcast.
• NATO head Rasmussen told the Associated Press that progress was being made, but that political progress would be needed as well because "there is no military solution to the conflict solely."
• NATO launched at least 4 bombs targeted against pro-Gaddafi forces in the Western Mountains, some 3km east of the village of Al-Qawalish (or Qwalish).
• Poland officially opened diplomatic ties with the NTC by installing its ambassador in Benghazi.
• Five Libyan rebels were killed and 17 wounded during fighting in Misrata.
• Human Rights Watch issued a report accusing the Gaddafi government of laying "at least three minefields containing antipersonnel and antivehicle landmines" in areas of civilian traffic near al-Qawalish; in particular, two of the minefields were placed on a dirt road leading to an outskirts Boy Scout building located west of al-Qawalish. HRW also cited rebels clearing up some 240 Brazilian-made T-AB-1 antipersonnel mines and 46 Chinese-made Type-72SP antivehicle mines from the sites since July 6. HRW arms director Steve Goose said "The government's blatant disregard for the safety of its civilians is shameful," and that "Landmines are a weapon that will claim civilian limbs and lives for years to come."

9 July

• Four boats with 1,401 migrants from Libya landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa. ANSA press agency reported that Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi cancelled his planned visit to the island.
• A petro-chemical plant in Brega was destroyed by government troops, according to Ahmed Bani, refuting earlier allegations of rebel involvement in the destruction of the plant.

10 July

• One rebel was killed and 32 wounded during an attempted rebel advance upon the city of Zliten. The casualties resulted from land mines laid by retreating troops in the neighborhood of Suq al-Thulatha.
• NATO warplanes struck at perceived pro-Gaddafi locations in Al-Asabiah.
• Pro-Gaddafi forces launched a counterattack on al-Qawalish with the launching of half a dozen Grad rockets into the hamlet. Rebels replied with anti-tank fire.
• Egypt ended its unrestricted immigration policy for Libyan nationals traversing the border or airspace between the two countries.

11 July

• Channel Arutz Sheva (IsraelNationalNews.com), reports that Libyan strongman Muammar Gadaffi is bracing for an assault by rebel fighters who have broken out in the Nusafa mountain region. Acording to their report Gadaffi has armed huge numbers of civilians in strategic towns overlooking Tripoli and plans to remain firmly ensconced.

12 July

• After contacting emissaries from Moammar Gadhafi, Paris officials state they have news Gadhafi is "prepared to leave."
• The French National Assembly voted overwhelmingly for further funding of NATO operations in Libya, with 482 deputies voting in favour and 27 against. The vote, while required, was a formality, according to Al Jazeera English.

13 July

• Human Rights Watch criticized rebel treatment of civilian populations in the towns of al-Awaniya, Rayayinah, Zawiyat al-Bagul and al-Qawalish. Fred Abrahams, a special advisor for Human Rights Watch's program office, stated that "We documented fairly widespread looting of homes and shops, the burning of some homes of suspected Gaddafi supporters and - most disturbingly - the vandalisation of three medical clinics [and] local small hospitals, including the theft of some of the medical equipment." Rebel spokesman Mahmoud Jibril denied the allegations of civilian abuse, but a rebel commander in the Nafusa Mountains admitted some abuses had taken place, going on to say such such attacks violated orders and some of those responsible had been punished.
• Pro-Gaddafi forces launched a counter-attack on towns in Al Jabal al Gharbi District, causing the rebels to retreat from al-Qawalish. Still, by the evening, the rebels counter-attacked and after a five-hour battle they retook the village and chased loyalist forces to the outskirts of Asabah. During the fighting, two rebels were killed and 17 wounded.

14 July

• Russia's special representative for Africa Mikhail Margelov reports Baghdadi al-Mahmudi stated a plan to "cover it [Tripoli] with missiles and blow it up" if the capital is seized by the rebels.

• Opposition forces armed with both light and heavy weapons, including tanks, armoured personnel carriers and technicals attempted to retake Brega. By the end of the day this effort failed and rebels returned to their previous positions out east.

15 July

• Japan and the United States formally recognize the National Transitional Council as sole legitimate representative of Libya. With the United States supporting the NTC, it is estimated that over $30 billion worth of Gaddafi regime funds frozen in the country may be diverted back to Libya under the Council's care.

16 July

• The rebel forces didn't succeed in taking the port town of Brega, suffering heavy casualties.

See also

• List of modern conflicts in North Africa
• Arab Spring
• National Transitional Council