2014 American raid in Libya
| 2014 American raid in Libya | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of U.S. retaliation for the Benghazi attack, Insurgency in the Maghreb | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
.svg){kind=small} Ansar al-Sharia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Barack Obama |
Ahmed Khattala (POW) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
Delta Force troops FBI agents | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| None | 1 captured | ||||||
The 2014 American raid in Libya refers to the capture of Ahmed Abu Khattala by U.S. troops and law enforcement agents during a late night raid in Libya. The raid was carried out on a coastal villa and seized Khattala before bringing him aboard a U.S. warship to be brought to the United States for legal proceedings.
Background
Ahmed Abu Khattala, a former prisoner under the Gaddafi regime and Ansar al-Sharia senior commander, was charged in a sealed indictment in August 2013 for his role in the attack on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi which killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens. In 2013, Abu Anas al-Libi, a Libyan militant wanted for his role in the 1998 United States embassy bombings was seized in Tripoli by U.S. troops.[1]
Raid
On the night of 14–15 June 2014, Abu Khattala was lured by an informant to an isolated coastal villa in Libya where he was seized by Delta Force operators and FBI agents. According to court records, Abu Khattala was armed with a handgun, violently resisted capture, and was wounded during the capture, requiring medical treatment. He was handcuffed, blindfolded, gagged, and earmuffed before being transported to the USS New York which transported him to Washington, D.C..[2][3][4]
Aftermath
Abu Khattala was convicted on four terrorism-related charges in November 2017.[5]
References
- ^ "US seizes Benghazi raid 'ringleader'". BBC News. 2014-06-18. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
- ^ "Benghazi Suspect Ahmed Abu Khattala Could be in U.S. by Week's End". NBC News. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- ^ "U.S. captures Benghazi suspect in secret raid". The Washington Post. June 17, 2014.
- ^ Shabad, Rebecca (2014-06-17). "US special forces nab suspected Benghazi ringleader in secret raid". TheHill. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
- ^ "Benghazi 'ringleader' cleared of murder". BBC News. 2017-11-28. Retrieved 2018-03-11.