| Revision as of 19:09, 7 October 2011 editRN1970 (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users26,398 edits →Fourth opposition attack: more exact match of the info in citation← Previous edit | Revision as of 21:07, 7 October 2011 edit undoEkoGraf (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users61,408 edits ''Counterproductive in protecting civilians'' OMG where did you come up with that sentance? XDNext edit → | ||
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| On 5 October, NTC forces pushed into the center of Sirte while their commander announced that they had taken control of half of the city and were expecting it to fall within two days.<ref></ref> According to NTC forces, the only people left in the city were mercenaries, pro-Gaddafi die-hard fighters, and perhaps Mutassim Gaddafi, while several local citizens said there were almost no loyalist troops left in the city, and resistance was coming mostly from civilian volunteers who were afraid of being massacred by NTC forces.<ref>, Reuters, 5 October 2011</ref> During the assault, for the first time during the war, a loyalist suicide bomber blew himself up among opposition fighters, killing and wounding several, after he managed to infiltrate them.<ref></ref> | On 5 October, NTC forces pushed into the center of Sirte while their commander announced that they had taken control of half of the city and were expecting it to fall within two days.<ref></ref> According to NTC forces, the only people left in the city were mercenaries, pro-Gaddafi die-hard fighters, and perhaps Mutassim Gaddafi, while several local citizens said there were almost no loyalist troops left in the city, and resistance was coming mostly from civilian volunteers who were afraid of being massacred by NTC forces.<ref>, Reuters, 5 October 2011</ref> During the assault, for the first time during the war, a loyalist suicide bomber blew himself up among opposition fighters, killing and wounding several, after he managed to infiltrate them.<ref></ref> | ||
| In Abu Hadi, NTC fighters from Misrata started looting and burning houses as a vengence act for the ]. Eastern NTC troops calls for an end to the looting were, however, ignored.<ref>MSNBC. , AP, 5 October 2011</ref> According to humanitarian workers, the NATO |
In Abu Hadi, NTC fighters from Misrata started looting and burning houses as a vengence act for the ]. Eastern NTC troops calls for an end to the looting were, however, ignored.<ref>MSNBC. , AP, 5 October 2011</ref> According to humanitarian workers, the NATO bombing was sometimes doing the opposite of what it was declared to be doing, protecting civilians.<ref name=AlJazeera32>, Al Jazeera, 6 October 2011</ref> One aid worker said there was "a lot of indiscriminate fire", and he had spoken to residents and doctors that complained about deaths from NATO air strikes.<ref name=AlJazeera32/> | ||
| On 6 October, the opposition push into Sirte had once again stalled with loyalist snipers blocking their advance. The only solid gains the rebels made in the previous 24 hours was the taking of a luxurious hotel on the northeastern edge of the city.<ref></ref> During the night, loyalists advanced several hundred meters under the cover of darkness and took up positions closer to the NTC frontline. Heavy fighting raged during the day on the road leading from the hotel. NTC fighters attempted to advance along the seafront to try and cut off the Mauritanian Quarter where a large number of loyalists were holed up.<ref></ref> Also, a rebel force was holding positions in open ground about 1.5 kilometers south of the conference center and bombarding loyalist forces who were replying with mortar fire.<ref></ref> On the eastern side of Sirte, loyalists attacked opposition fighters at the roundabout during the day with an anti-aircraft gun. By the evening, the rebels at the conference center, even though supported by three tanks, were driven back due to loyalist missile fire.<ref></ref> | On 6 October, the opposition push into Sirte had once again stalled with loyalist snipers blocking their advance. The only solid gains the rebels made in the previous 24 hours was the taking of a luxurious hotel on the northeastern edge of the city.<ref></ref> During the night, loyalists advanced several hundred meters under the cover of darkness and took up positions closer to the NTC frontline. Heavy fighting raged during the day on the road leading from the hotel. NTC fighters attempted to advance along the seafront to try and cut off the Mauritanian Quarter where a large number of loyalists were holed up.<ref></ref> Also, a rebel force was holding positions in open ground about 1.5 kilometers south of the conference center and bombarding loyalist forces who were replying with mortar fire.<ref></ref> On the eastern side of Sirte, loyalists attacked opposition fighters at the roundabout during the day with an anti-aircraft gun. By the evening, the rebels at the conference center, even though supported by three tanks, were driven back due to loyalist missile fire.<ref></ref> | ||
Revision as of 21:07, 7 October 2011
| Battle of Sirte (2011) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Second Gulf of Sidra offensive of the 2011 Libyan civil war | |||||||
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 NATO command | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Hamid Hassy Mustafa Bendardaf Touhami Zayani |
 Al-Mu'tasim-Billah al-Gaddafi | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
4,000 fighters (western front) 163-900 technicals | 1,000-5,000 fighters (NTC claim) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
136 killed, 933 wounded, 18 captured |
Unknown 200 wounded, 60+ captured | ||||||
|
800 civilians killed (NTC claim) 2,151 civilians killed (Loyalist claim) | |||||||
The Battle of Sirte is a battle of the 2011 Libyan civil war that began when the National Liberation Army attacked forces loyal to ousted strongman Muammar Gaddafi in his hometown and designated capital of Sirte, on the Gulf of Sidra.
Background
Main article: Second Gulf of Sidra offensiveAnti-Gaddafi forces made a three-pronged advance toward Sirte over the course of several weeks, pushing forward from Misrata in the west, Brega in the east, and desert positions in the south, but met fierce resistance and suffered heavy casualties in their effort to reach the city.
Battle
First opposition attack repelled
- 15–18 September
On 15 September, a spokesman for the National Transitional Council claimed that after being stuck no closer than 50km from Sirte for the past several days, opposition fighters had made a major push and reached the western outskirts of Sirte. NTC forces reached the Gharbiyat Bridge, on the southwestern edge of the city, and were encountering resistance from Gaddafi loyalists. In the evening, a NTC military spokesman told Reuters that NTC forces managed to enter the city itself where heavy fighting erupted. A few hours later, the Misrata military council announced that their fighters took control of city center and exit road and were cleaning out pockets of resistance, particularly the beachfront where remnants of the Khamis Brigade were believed to be holding out. However, soon after, a spokesman for the opposition forces stated they were 8-10 kilometers from the city center after they had to retreat to treat their casualties.
On 16 September, Al Jazeera claimed that Sirte's airport, 10 kilometers south of the city, was under NLA control. It was also confirmed that rebel forces had to retreat from the city itself the previous night, after entering it briefly, due to encountering heavy resistance. On 16 September, NTC forces launched a larger offensive into the city and heavy fighting ensued on Sirte's main boulevard, 1st of September St.
According to a man, claiming to be a spokesman for opposition fighters from inside Sirte, rebels controlled much of the city already, and it had been under siege by pro-Gaddafi forces for several months. The man's identity and his claims could not be independently confirmed.
By the evening, opposition forces pulled back from the city after a day of chaotic, fierce street fighting, contradicting the earlier report by the claimed opposition spokesman from Sirte. The support the opposition expected from Sirte's residents did not materialize and loyalists showed more fierce resistance than what was anticipated by the rebels.
On 17 September, anti-Gaddafi fighters renewed their offensive. Sirte's interim representative in the NTC said he had information that "there is no full control over Sirte" for either side, with parts of the city remaining under loyalist control and other parts of the city being taken by opposition fighters. At least three anti-Gaddafi fighters were killed in the fighting, and many wounded were evacuated to a field hospital set up at a gas station on the outskirts of Sirte.
On the eastern front, Al Jazeera reported anti-Gaddafi forces were still struggling to advance. A correspondent in Ra's Lanuf said many villages that anti-Gaddafi fighters had entered were found to be deserted, suggesting that their inhabitants had been persuaded to flee by pro-Gaddafi elements.
Later, opposition forces stated that they had captured the city's airport, which they had already claimed to have done one day earlier. An opposition fighter, who was returning from the frontline, stated that rebel forces didn't control even 5% of the city and contradicted his officers claims of the airport takeover by saying that the rebels were only able to enter enemy territory by day but had to pull back during the night. Later, it was confirmed that the airport was still in loyalist hands.
On 18 September, opposition forces made another incursion into Sirte, but by dusk, they had once again retreated to the city's outskirts.
Eastern rebel forces approach
- 19–23 September
On 22 September, rebels advancing from the east halted their advance on Sirte for a week due to a shortage of ammunition. Meanwhile, commanders on the front line west of the town said they had been told to expect further NATO air strikes on Thursday and had orders not to advance.
During the evening of 23 September, NTC fighters managed to reach the city's eastern gate with virtually no resistance from pro-Gaddafi forces.
Second opposition attack repelled
- 24–25 September
On 24 September, NTC forces, which were preparing for an assault for the past week, swarmed into the city from the west, taking control of Zafran Square, about one mile from city center. Opposition troops advanced to a major TV broadcaster in the city's western part and were encountering heavy resistance from loyalist troops on the main boulevard toward the city center. A rebel spokesman claimed that they expected to capture two western neighborhoods by the evening. A BBC News correspondent reported that anti-Gaddafi fighters had made a particularly swift advance from the east as well, pushing deep into Sirte, and he judged the battle to be tipping in favour of the interim government's forces.
On 25 September, the NTC forces retreated from the western part of Sirte, after meeting strong resistance from loyalist forces, back to its outskirts. Nine rebels were killed and 97 others wounded in the previous day of fighting.
Third opposition attack repelled
- 26–28 September
On 26 September, NTC forces continued their offensive against Sirte with NTC tanks shelling the city center from a distance of 2 kilometers from the western outskirts. Dr. Eman Mohammed, a civilian doctor who worked at the city's central Ibn Sina Hospital before fleeing the fighting to NTC-held territory, reported that most civilian deaths and injuries appear to have been caused by NTC shelling, causing vengeful relatives to join the pro-Gaddafi forces as armed volunteers. Meanwhile, the main NTC eastern assault body fought their way to 10 kilometers east of the town and then entered city itself few hours later.
On 27 September, an NTC senior military commander in Tripoli announced that their forces managed to secure the port and were battling for control of the city center where snipers were halting their progress. Opposition troops advancing from the west were still in the city's outskirts while those advancing from the east were pinned down by the snipers at a roundabout approximately 2 kilometers from the city center, at the eastern edge of the town. Later during the day, a rebel fighter came from the roundabout to the opposition lines outside the city and, panicky, requested more reinforcements for those still left behind. The NTC forces that managed to get to the roundabout could not move due to the heavy sniper activity and were constantly hit with accurate artillery and rocket fire, sustaining heavy casualties. However, the reinforcements could not go in because of the heavy artillery barrage between them and the cut-off troops. Heavy face-to-face fighting was also raging at the Mahari hotel.
On 28 September, the rebel offensive continued with the west and east opposition forces attempting to link up south of the city by capturing the airport, which they had already claimed on several occasions to have seized in the past. However, at least on the eastern side, there were almost no advances by the opposition. NTC fighters were still pinned down, for a third day, at the roundabout, and not even the arrival of five tanks managed to break the stalemate since they quickly came under accurate loyalist rocket fire, missing them by only a few yards.
Later during the evening, the rebels on the eastern edge of the city were finally pushed back three kilometers outside the city after a series of ferocious attacks by loyalist fighters.
NTC forces link up, cease-fire
- 29 September–3 October
During the morning of 29 September, the NTC forces pushing from both west and east once again captured the city's airport, but were still facing rocket fire from the other side of the runway.
On 30 September, there was no major activity on the frontline except the constant shelling. Also, the NTC force at the roundabout was still pinned down for a fifth straight day and had temporarily run out of ammunition the day before. At this time, a two-day cease-fire was declared by the NTC so to give a chance to civilians to flee the city and also for the Red Cross officials to inspect a hospital close to the city center.
On 1 October, a force of about 100 NTC vehicles entered the city from south and encircled the Ouagadougou Conference Center. Despite the declared cease-fire, NTC shelling of the city center continued near the hospital (west of the conference center) that the humanitarian workers were visiting.
On 2 October, an NTC source claimed that they had taken 95 percent of the town of Buhadi (Qasr Abu Hadi), just opposite of the airport south of the city, which was home to many pro-Gaddafi loyalists and also a small military base. It was also the birthplace of Muammar Gaddafi himself. However, another opposition source stated that they were concentrating on the town and still targeting it after they found out from a captured loyalist that Mutassim Gaddafi was possibly holed up in that area. Red Cross officials who had pulled back from the hospital near the city center described a dire situation with patients dying from the lack of medical supplies and power shortages. They and the fleeing civilians also stated that civilian areas were being hit by indiscriminate fire from both the loyalists, rebels and NATO. During the evening, rebel forces had pulled out of the town where Colonel Gaddafi was born claiming they were ordered to by NATO so they would conduct air-strikes in the area. Later, it was reported that at this time Mutassim Gaddafi managed to slip out of Sirte and headed south into the Libyan desert.
On the morning of 3 October, Reuters reported that NTC forces had taken control of Buhadi and were clearing out pockets of resistance. However, a NTC commander said they had taken control of 75 percent of the town. Al Jazeera disputed an advance on Buhadi altogether stating opposition troops were holding positions three kilometers from the town. The BBC confirmed that a new assault on Sirte had started, but noted that the offensive seemed un-coordinated and the rebel rocket and artillery fire at the city random, potentially endangering civilians. Later that evening, Gaddafi's hometown was declared secured by the opposition forces.
Fourth opposition attack
- 4 October–
On 4 October, opposition forces moved forward toward the conference centre in Sirte, which was being used as a base by the loyalists. But, soon after, heavy and accurate pro-Gaddafi fire hit the rebel coloumn sending it into a retreat.
On 5 October, NTC forces pushed into the center of Sirte while their commander announced that they had taken control of half of the city and were expecting it to fall within two days. According to NTC forces, the only people left in the city were mercenaries, pro-Gaddafi die-hard fighters, and perhaps Mutassim Gaddafi, while several local citizens said there were almost no loyalist troops left in the city, and resistance was coming mostly from civilian volunteers who were afraid of being massacred by NTC forces. During the assault, for the first time during the war, a loyalist suicide bomber blew himself up among opposition fighters, killing and wounding several, after he managed to infiltrate them.
In Abu Hadi, NTC fighters from Misrata started looting and burning houses as a vengence act for the Battle of Misrata. Eastern NTC troops calls for an end to the looting were, however, ignored. According to humanitarian workers, the NATO bombing was sometimes doing the opposite of what it was declared to be doing, protecting civilians. One aid worker said there was "a lot of indiscriminate fire", and he had spoken to residents and doctors that complained about deaths from NATO air strikes.
On 6 October, the opposition push into Sirte had once again stalled with loyalist snipers blocking their advance. The only solid gains the rebels made in the previous 24 hours was the taking of a luxurious hotel on the northeastern edge of the city. During the night, loyalists advanced several hundred meters under the cover of darkness and took up positions closer to the NTC frontline. Heavy fighting raged during the day on the road leading from the hotel. NTC fighters attempted to advance along the seafront to try and cut off the Mauritanian Quarter where a large number of loyalists were holed up. Also, a rebel force was holding positions in open ground about 1.5 kilometers south of the conference center and bombarding loyalist forces who were replying with mortar fire. On the eastern side of Sirte, loyalists attacked opposition fighters at the roundabout during the day with an anti-aircraft gun. By the evening, the rebels at the conference center, even though supported by three tanks, were driven back due to loyalist missile fire.
On 7 October, NTC forces launched a coordinated attack from three sides, dubbed as the "final assaut", attacking Ouagadougou conference center, the Mauritanian Quater and the city's university. By the early evening, 12 NTC fighters were killed and 213 wounded. Among the wounded was also Ali Saeh, a senior commander of the Free Libya Brigade, who was shot twice by a sniper while leading his troops through residential areas. By this time, reports put opposition units 1-2 kilometers from the city center, but still not being able to overcome the large loyalist hold-outs, mainly the conference center.
NATO Strikes
| 15 September - 2 October NATO Strikes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Vehicles | Tanks | Missiles and Missile Launchers | Buildings | Radar and Antennas | |
| 15 September | 2 Armed Vehicles | 1 | 4 Multiple Rocket Launchers, 8 Air Missile Systems | 1 Military Storage Facility | 0 | |
| 16 September | 4 Armed Vehicles | 0 | 8 Air Missile Systems | 5 Command and Control Nodes | 3 Radar Systems | |
| 17 September | 1 Armed Vehicle | 0 | 4 Multiple Rocket Launchers, 4 Surface to Air Missile Systems | 2 Command and Control Nodes | 0 | |
| 18 September | 0 | 0 | 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher, 4 Air Missile Systems | 1 Military Facility, 1 Command and Control Node | 0 | |
| 19 September | 1 Armed Vehicle | 0 | 1 Multiple Rocket System | 0 | 0 | |
| 20 September | 0 | 1 | 6 Air Missile Systems | 2 Military Ammunition/Storage Facilities, 1 Command and Control Node, 1 Military Vehicle Storage Facility | 0 | |
| 21 September | 0 | 0 | 5 Surface to Air Missile Systems | 1 Command and Control Node | 0 | |
| 22 September | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 Ammunition Storage and Military Barracks Facility. | 0 | |
| 23 September | 2 Armed Vehicles | 0 | 1 Anti Aircraft Gun | 1 Ammunition Storage Facility, 1 Command and Control Node | 0 | |
| 24 September | 29 Armed Vehicles | 0 | 0 | 2 Command and Control Nodes, 1 Military Staging Location, 1 Division Storage Bunker and Radar Facility, 3 Ammunition Storage Facilities, 1 Weapon Firing Position, 1 Ammunition and Vehicle Storage Facility, 1 Vehicle Staging Point | 0 | |
| 25 September | 1 Military Support Vehicle | 0 | 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher, 1 Artillery Piece | 1 Command and Control Node, 2 Ammunition/Vehicle Storage Facilities, 1 Ammunition Storage Facility | 1 Radar Facility | |
| 26 September | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 Command and Control Node, 1 Ammunition/Vehicle Storage Facility | 0 | |
| 27 September | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 Ammunition/Vehicle Storage Facility | 0 | |
| 28 September | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 Ammunition/Vehicle Storage Facility, 1 Staging and Firing Location, 1 Command and Control Node And Staging Area, 2 Ammunition and Missile Facilities | 0 | |
| 29 September | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 Ammunition Storage Area, 1 Multi Rocket Launcher Area | 0 | |
| 1 October | 2 Armed Vehicles, 4 Armoured Infantry Vehicles | 1 | 0 | 1 Command and Control Node, 1 Infantry and Anti-Aircraft Artillery Staging Area | 0 | |
| 2 October | 1 Armed Vehicle | 0 | 1 Multiple Rocket Launcher | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 47 | 4 | 41 | 45 | 4 | |
References
- "Nato takes control of enforcing Libya no-fly zone". 25 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
- Gaddafi hometown a hazardous prize for Libya's NTC
- Gadhafi diehards force Sirte retreat by NTC fighters
- http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110906/world/libyan-troops-advance-on-sirte-in-heavy-fighting.383601
- Libya live Blog
- After a day of intense fighting, anti-Gadhafi forces pull back
- ^ Gaddafi's wife and children flee to Algeria
- "Libya: rebels 'enter gates of Sirte'". 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|Agency=ignored (|agency=suggested) (help) - McCain arrives in Libya as rival forces battle for control
- 11 killed (15 September), 13 killed (16 September), 24 killed (17 September), 2 killed (18 September), 4 killed (20 September), 70 killed (21 September-6 October), 12 killed (7 October), total of 136 reported killed
- 461 wounded (15-28 September; western front) 36 wounded (25-26 September; eastern front), 100 wounded (27-28 September; eastern front), 18 wounded (29 September), 11 wounded (30 September), 15 wounded (2 October), 39 wounded (3 October), 20 wounded (4 October), 20 wounded (5 October), 195 wounded (7 October; western front), 18 wounded (7 October; eastern front), total of 933 reported wounded
- "Libyan Fighters Press Into Gadhafi Strongholds". 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|Agency=ignored (|agency=suggested) (help) - Libya: ICRC supplies Sirte hospital with urgently needed medical assistance
- Humanitarian fears grow in Sirte
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- Gadhafi aide: NATO airstrike hits residential area, kills 354 civilians
- Gaddafi aide claims NATO strikes killed 151
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{{cite news}}: Check|url=value (help) - "Libya rebels enter gates of Sirte". Telegraph. 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- "Libyan NTC forces storm Gaddafi's home town". 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|Agency=ignored (|agency=suggested) (help) - Gaddafi's birthplace 'captured by rebels' in battle for last Libya coast stronghold
- "Libya conflict: Anti-Gaddafi NTC forces enter Sirte". 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|Agency=ignored (|agency=suggested) (help) - "Libyan NTC fighters seize Sirte airport - TV". 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|Agency=ignored (|agency=suggested) (help) - "Libyan Fighters Press Into Gadhafi Strongholds". 15 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|Agency=ignored (|agency=suggested) (help) - Fri, 16 Sep 2011, 11:14 GMT+3 - Libya
- After a day of intense fighting, anti-Gadhafi forces pull back
- "Libya: Rebels Advance In Sirte, Pull Back From Bani Walid". The Huffington Post. 17 September 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
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- Shortages "killing patients" in Libya siege hospital
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