Jump to content

Fourth Battle of Brega: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
FreemanSA (talk | contribs)
105 edits
No edit summary
NATO Strikes 5 Aug
Line 209: Line 209:
|1 Multiple Rocket Launcher
|1 Multiple Rocket Launcher
|2 Military Facilities
|2 Military Facilities
|-
|5 Aug<ref>http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_08/20110806_110806-oup-update.pdf</ref>
|19 Armed Vehicles, 2 Military Supply Vehicles, 5 Military Trucks
|2 Tanks
|1 Armoured Fighting Vehicle
|1 Multiple Rocket Launcher
|2 Military Facility, 6 Military Buildings
|-
|-
!Total
!Total
!20
!46
⚫
!5
!10
!3
!3
!9
!16
⚫
!2
!8
|}
|}


Revision as of 21:24, 6 August 2011

Fourth Battle of Brega
Part of 2011 Libyan civil war
Date14 July 2011 – 21 July 2011
Location
Brega, Libya
Result

Pro-Gaddafi victory

  • Pro-Gaddafi forces repel rebel attack on the city
  • Rebels troops advance to 20 kms from Brega but are halted by a network of minefields[3]
  • Gaddafi's forces establish an artillery line in Bishr to bombard the rebel assault
Belligerents

Libya Anti-Gaddafi forces

United Nations UNSC Resolution 1973 forces[1]

Libya Gaddafi Loyalists

Commanders and leaders
Gen. Abdul Fatah Younis †
Col. Hamid Hassy[4]		 Al-Mu'tasim-Billah al-Gaddafi[5]
Strength
5,000[6] 3,000[7]-7,000[6]
Casualties and losses
73 killed, 627 wounded,[8][9] several tanks disabled and several dozen technicals damaged[10]

30 killed,[11] 10-20 captured[12]

37 technicals, 3 tanks, 11 IFVs, 3 MRLs, 2 rocket launchers destroyed in air-strikes (NATO claim)

The Fourth Battle of Brega was a battle during the 2011 Libyan civil war between forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and forces of the Libyan opposition for control of the strategic town of Brega and its oil port.

Background

After about three months of stalemate on Libya's "eastern front", interupted only by the occasional clash between infantry units and some artillery duels, opposition military commanders launched an offensive to reclaim control of the town.

The Battle

14 July

The battle commenced on the 14 July, in the aftermath of the long-stalemated Battle of Brega-Ajdabiya road. The rebels were armed with refurbished and repaired T-72 and T-55 tanks and armoured personnel carriers as well as with armed technical trucks. Three rebels were killed and 73 were wounded.[13] Opposition forces advanced via the southern desert highway, the main central coastal road, and from the sea to the north of the town.[14] At one point, rebels claimed that loyalist forces were in retreat to an area called Bishr (Bashir), 20 km to the west of Brega.[15] However, Libyan government's spokesman Mussa Ibrahim stated several hours later that the military repulsed the attack by opposition forces, who had air and naval support from NATO, stating that NATO was breaking the UN resolution once again.[16][17]

15 July

By the next day, the rebels themselves confirmed that their attack had failed and that they had fallen back to their previous positions[18] where battles with loyalist forces continued on three fronts.[19] Late on the second day of the fighting, rebel forces on a recon mission breached Brega, but pulled back to prepare for a fresh offensive the next day. In addition to the large number of casualties suffered by the rebels, pro-Gaddafi forces also sustained a number of dead and wounded during the fighting. At this point, the rebels’ forward position closest to Brega was four kilometers to the north of the town. A second rebel forces attacking from due east of Brega faced stiffer resistance and was about 10-20 kilometres (six to 12 miles) from the town. To the south of the town, where the rebels had made initial gains but suffered large numbers of casualties, Gaddafi forces had pushed back harder.[20]

16 July

During the morning before dawn on the third day of fighting, according to some reports, rebel forces managed to enter Brega's outskirts but encountered heavy government shelling and multiple land mines. The rebels also stated that they captured four loyalist soldiers since the start of the battle.[21] As for the rebels, the number of casualties on their side during the day was 12 dead and 178 wounded due to the shelling and mines.[22] During 16 July, it was once again reported that the loyalist were withdrawing to Bishr. However, no independent media followed up on the story[23] and later rebel command stated opposition forces were still on the town's outskirts, moving slowly because of hundreds of land mines.[24] They were also slowed due to defensive trenches around the city that had been filled with flammable chemicals by retreating loyalist troops. Government forces had mostly pulled back into the town from its outskirts and left the booby-trapped trenches behind.[25] Most opposition troops were reportedly still 20 kilometers east of Brega by the end of the third day.[26]

17 July

On 17 July, three rebels were killed and 96[27]-127 wounded in street-to-street fighting in residential areas of Brega.[28] A rebel spokesman claimed that opposition forces had captured the north-eastern part of the town and were engaging loyalist troops in the south-western section.[29]

18 July

On 18 July, rebels announced that the main body of loyalist forces had retreated to Ras Lanuf while the main group of rebel forces was already behind Brega and was heading towards Bishr (al-Bashir) and Ugayla (Uqayla, al-Ageila). The rest of the rebel forces were still cleaning up mines and engaging pockets of resistance in Brega where an estimated 150-200 loyalist soldiers were still holed up in the industrial area.[30] However, in the evening, the government stated they were still in control of Brega, vowing to hold it after claiming to have killed 520 rebels,[31] and a rebel commander and fighters returning from the front said that opposition forces did manage to surround the town and enter the residential eastern part of the city, but the loyalists were still holding the western industrial area. Also, rebel forces coming in from the east were significantly slowed by the burning trenches which they were not able to extinguish because of a constant flow of oil into them from an oil pipeline directly linked to the trench system.[32][33] The rebels were also receiving rocket fire from the direction of Bashir.[34]

19 July

On 19 July, the rebels once again declared they were in full control of the town, except a few parts of the city (including the downtown section) to which they couldn't get to because of a high concentration of mines, but this was in contrast to the situation on the ground where there was still ongoing fighting. NATO itself stated it was not sure who controlled the town and described the situation as fluid.[35] Its aircraft were having problems to follow the movements of loyalist forces in Brega because of the black smoke coming from burning oil trenches.[36] 13 rebels were killed and 45 others wounded near Brega by loyalist artillery fire after government troops approached opposition positions in trucks carrying rebel flags. By the end of the day, rebel officers stated that opposition forces had captured only a third of the town and were still fighting in the residential area of Brega.[37][38] A rebel commander stated that opposition forces would need another 10 days before they could take complete control of Brega.[39] At the same time, Al Jazeera reported that opposition forces had still not entered Brega, despite managing to surround it, and were mainly positioned 10 kilometers east of the town, hampered by mines.[40]

20 July

On 20 July, there were no reports of major fighting, but the rebel casualties from the previous day rose to 27 dead and 83-121 wounded, putting the total of rebels killed since the beginning of the battle at over 50.[41][42]

21 July

On 21 July, it was reported that loyalist forces had booby-trapped the vital petroleum installations in Brega so that they can be destroyed if government troops lose the town. The rebels characterized the town as a "big minefield". It was also reported that the rebels had pulled back from the city and were partially encircling it[43] with only the western approach into Brega still under loyalist control.[44]

Aftermath

On 24 July, the rebels stated that the mine problem had sapped momentum from the campaign to take Brega and that they needed several more days to clear the estimated 45,000 mines from the area.[12][45]

On 28 July, the rebel army chief Abdul Fatah Younis, who was directly leading the Brega front, was put under arrest by the NTC and was being held at an undisclosed garrison in Benghazi. He was arrested under suspicion that he still had continuing contact with the loyalist government in Tripoli. Some of his soldiers returned from the front to ask for his release.[46] The NTC later reported that he was killed, following his release from custody in Benghazi, by Gaddafi supporters.[47] He had been released after he was summoned for questioning about military operations he had conducted, but never made it to the meeting.[48] The Libyan government gave another version of the event, saying that Younis had been killed by the rebels because they thought he was a double agent.[49]

On 1 August, rebel fighters claimed that they had been able, after two weeks of slow advance, to push through minefields to the edge of the suburbs of Brega and were within the sight of the city, some 5 to 7 kilometers away.[50][51]

On 2 August, opposition forces claimed that a small unit of 45 rebel fighters managed to enter the eastern residential district of Brega from which they, after a four-hours long battle, retreated.[52]

On 5 August, the rebels claimed to have captured a hill overlooking part of the town. [53]

On 6 August, once again the rebels claimed that they were preparing a new push toward Brega, but they still had not entered the town like the previous times. [54]

NATO Strikes

According to NATO's daily Operational Media Updates, the NATO strikes, during the battle, hit:

14th July-to-21st July NATO Strikes
Date Technicals Tanks Armored vehicles Rocket launchers Buildings
14 July[55] 1 Armed Vehicle 1 Tank 1 Armoured Fighting Vehicle 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher 1 Command and Control Node
15 July[56] 7 Armed Vehicles 1 Tank 5 Armoured Fighting Vehicles 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher
16 July[57] 5 Armed Vehicles 1 Tank 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher, 1 Rocket Launcher
17 July[58] 9 Armed Vehicles 2 Armoured Fighting Vehicles 1 Command and Control Node
18 July[59] 8 Armed Vehicles 2 Armoured Fighting Vehicles
19 July[60] 5 Armed Vehicles 1 Armoured Fighting Vehicles
20 July[61] 2 Armed Vehicles 1 Rocket Launcher
21 July[62] 1 Military Storage Facility
Total 37 3 11 5 3

According to NATO's daily Operational Media Updates, the NATO strikes, after the battle, hit:

22nd July-to-27th July NATO Strikes
Date Technicals Tanks Armored vehicles Rocket launchers Buildings
22 July[63] 4 Armed Vehicles 1 Military Storage Facility
23 July[64] 1 Armoured Fighting Vehicles 1 Rocket Launcher 1 Military Storage Facility, 1 Command and Control Node
24 July[65] 1 Military Storage Facility
25 July[66] 11 Light Military Vehicles 2 Tanks 5 Armoured Vehicles 1 Military Facility
26 July[67] 5 Military Vehicles 1 Tank 1 Military Facility
27 July[68] 3 Armoured Vehicles 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher 2 Military Facilities
5 Aug[69] 19 Armed Vehicles, 2 Military Supply Vehicles, 5 Military Trucks 2 Tanks 1 Armoured Fighting Vehicle 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher 2 Military Facility, 6 Military Buildings
Total 46 5 10 3 16

References

  1. ^ "UN clears way for Libyan no-fly zone". 18 Mar 2011.
  2. ^ "Nato takes control of enforcing Libya no-fly zone". 25 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
  3. ^ Mines, forces slow advancing Libyan rebels
  4. ^ "Rebel-held Libyan city pounded". April 16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Libyan rebels claim kill 57 Gaddafi soldiers: report
  6. ^ a b Libya rebels blame war planning for front stalemate
  7. ^ Libya rebels killed trying to retake Brega
  8. ^ AJE:Libyan opposition claims major gains
  9. ^ Libyan Rebels: Qaddafi Has Boobytrapped Oil Fields
  10. ^ Libyan forces, insurgents locked in battle for Port Brega
  11. ^ Libyan government vows to hold oil city against rebels
  12. ^ a b Libyan rebels in Brega shift focus to demining
  13. ^ Libya rebels begin advance on Brega
  14. ^ Gadhafi government holds talks with U.S. officials
  15. ^ Al Jazeera Live Blog
  16. ^ Libyan Forces Attack Strategic Oil City
  17. ^ Libyan spokesman: 'We will die for oil'
  18. ^ Libyan rebels fall back after failed advance
  19. ^ Libya rebels lose three men in Brega assault
  20. ^ Libya rebels breach Brega: spokesman
  21. ^ Medic: 10 Libya rebels killed in push for oil town
  22. ^ Libya rebels continue offensive, Kadhafi defiant
  23. ^ Libyan rebels enter Brega after heavy fighting
  24. ^ Ten rebels killed in push for Brega
  25. ^ Libya rebel advance slowed by 'chemical' trenches
  26. ^ Heavy casualties reported in Libya fighting
  27. ^ Battles rage on in Libya
  28. ^ Over 120 rebels hurt in battle for east Libya town
  29. ^ Libyan rebels 'fighting Gaddafi forces in Brega
  30. ^ Libya rebels say Gaddafi forces retreat in east
  31. ^ Gadhafi government holds talks with U.S. officials
  32. ^ Libyan government vows to hold oil city against rebels
  33. ^ In Libya, rebel wounded tell the story behind fight for key city
  34. ^ Libyan rebels claim victory in battle for Brega
  35. ^ Libyan Rebels Won’t Sign Oil Deals Until Elected Government
  36. ^ Libyan forces, insurgents locked in battle for Port Brega
  37. ^ Libyan Troops Kill 8 Rebels Near Eastern Oil Town
  38. ^ 7 rebels dead, dozens wounded in Libyan government shelling
  39. ^ Battle For Brega Lingers Amid Push For Diplomacy In Libya
  40. ^ Libyan rebels pushed back from Brega
  41. ^ Dozens of Libyan rebels killed in battle for Brega
  42. ^ For Libyan rebels, a funeral is no somber event
  43. ^ Libyan Rebels: Qaddafi Has Boobytrapped Oil Fields
  44. ^ Libya: Rebel chief dismisses death reports
  45. ^ Libyan rebels say resistance “negligible” at Brega
  46. ^ Libya opposition arrests senior leader
  47. ^ Abdel Fattah Younes dead
  48. ^ Libyan rebel commander Abdel Fattah Younes killed
  49. ^ Libyan Rebel Military Leader Is Killed
  50. ^ Rebels clash with Gaddafi loyalists in rebel-held east
  51. ^ Al Jazeera Live Blog
  52. ^ Libya rebels say forces enter Kadhafi-held Zliten
  53. ^ [1]
  54. ^ http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE77504220110806?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0
  55. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110715_110715-oup-update.pdf
  56. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110716_110716-oup-update.pdf
  57. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110717_110717-oup-update.pdf
  58. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110718_110718-oup-update.pdf
  59. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110719_110719-oup-update.pdf
  60. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110720_110720-oup-update.pdf
  61. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110721_110721-oup-update.pdf
  62. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110722_110722-oup-update.pdf
  63. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110723_110723-oup-update.pdf
  64. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110724_110724-oup-update.pdf
  65. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110725_110725-oup-update.pdf
  66. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110726_110726-oup-update.pdf
  67. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110727_110727-oup-update.pdf
  68. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_07/20110728_110728-oup-update.pdf
  69. ^ http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_08/20110806_110806-oup-update.pdf

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fourth_Battle_of_Brega&oldid=443408141"