Information
Equipo Nizkor
        Bookshop | Donate
Derechos | Equipo Nizkor       

26Feb15

Français | Español

Letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt regarding the recent developments and current situation in Libya

United Nations
Security Council

S/2015/120

Distr.: General
26 February 2015
Original: English

Note verbale dated 17 February 2015 from the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

The Permanent Mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the United Nations presents its compliments to the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and has the honour to attach herewith a letter dated 17 February 2015 from the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Mr. Sameh Shokry, to the Secretary-General regarding the recent developments and current situation in Libya (see annex).

The Permanent Mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt requests that the present note and its annex be circulated to all members of the Security Council as a document of the Council.

Annex to the note verbale dated 17 February 2015 from the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

[Original: Arabic]

You are no doubt aware of the deplorable incident in which 21 young Egyptians were killed on the beaches of Sirte by the barbaric organization known as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This incident made every Egyptian feel that our country is facing an unprecedented aggression from its western border.

For some time, Egypt has been monitoring with increasing concern the extremely dangerous developments in the security situation in Libya. The Egyptian Government agrees with the legitimate Government of Libya that the ongoing activities of terrorist organizations and extremist groups in Libya are a grave threat to international peace and security. Accordingly, the response to those activities must not contribute to the perpetuation of instability and violence in Libya. The current situation is undermining the authority of the State and the elected Government; threatening the sovereignty of Libya, its territorial integrity and unity; and jeopardizing regional security, particularly in view of the rise in acts of violence and terrorism against the interests of foreign states and foreign nationals, who are being targeted systematically. I am also certain that you took note of the fact that the videotape of the killing of the Egyptian nationals was a message that was not directed to the Egyptian people alone. The perpetrators considered it a bloody message to Christians in general and they deliberately killed those Egyptians simply because they were adherents of the Christian faith.

I therefore felt it necessary to write to you in view of the authority that you have in relation to the maintenance of international peace and security. The scope of acts of terrorism in Libya and their frequency is increasing because the Libyan national army continues to lack the military capabilities to counter terrorism and prevent it from spreading beyond Libya's borders. We fear that this threat might increase if the current situation was to continue and the restrictions on the provision of weapons to the legitimate Libyan Government were to remain in place. Meanwhile, armed militias cunningly obtain weapons by illegal means that are contrary to Security Council resolutions.

I should like to draw your attention in particular to a number of risk factors that now threaten Egyptian national security and regional security, and have implications for international security. Following are some examples of those risk factors:

  • Terrorists might use Libyan territory as base from which to carry out operations in Egypt and other States that neighbour Libya, and then return to their bases in order to prepare for other operations. There is also the risk presented by the presence of foreign fighters in Libya;
  • Increased pressure on the Libyan Government and Army will weaken them and limit their ability to be a partner in the regional and international war against terrorism and ISIL;
  • Transnational organized crime, including the smuggling of weapons and trafficking in persons and narcotics, may rise and illegal migration to northern Mediterranean States may increase. That would contribute to an increase in acts of violence and terrorism in Mediterranean States;
  • The ISIL presence in Libya is helpful to ISIL in Iraq and Syria. In their statements, some of that organization's leaders have stated that their presence in Libya alleviates the pressure on their forces in the eastern Arab world. Giving ISIL free rein in Libya will increase its ability to fight in Iraq and Syria. Extremist groups in Libya, through their alliances with Boko Haram and other groups in Africa, are also a threat to the strategically important Sahel region;
  • Attached is a list of the most significant acts of violence that have occurred in Libya since October 2013.

The locus of terrorist activities in Libya are extremist groups that have been implicated in acts of violence directed against the Libyan people's security, Libyan State institutions, the interests of neighbouring States and diplomatic missions. The most significant of the groups are ISIL and Ansar al-Sharia, which are included in the sanctions list maintained by the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities, as well as Al Qaida and several Libyan militias known for espousing violent ideology. The latter falsely claim they are Islamic, yet they systematically commit acts of terrorism that are planned and supported by outside parties.

I think you will agree with me that it is imperative to respond resolutely to the spread of terrorism in Libya and the transformation of Libyan territory into a haven, in the heart of the civilized world, for terrorist organizations. We must act in order to ensure that this matter does not get completely out of hand and difficult for the international community to resolve. Egypt has taken the initiative and acted based on its responsibilities as a State that upholds international peace and security, and as a member of the international alliance against terrorism. It therefore desires the support of the Security Council, in accordance with the Council's responsibilities.

I therefore call on you to urge the Security Council to act resolutely and forcefully in its meeting today, 18 February, regarding this matter, so as to enable the legitimate Government to take those measures that would enable it to establish security and combat terrorism, including providing its army with appropriate weapons. The Council should also act to prevent weapons from reaching illegal militias and support those States that wish to assist the Libyan Government in shouldering its responsibilities to counter terrorism, in cooperation with the Government and with its consent. I should also be grateful if the present letter could be circulated to the members of the Security Council and issued as a document of the Council.

(Signed) Sameh Hassan Shokry Selim
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt

No. Date Organization
or entity		 Type of attack Nationality of target City Description of attack
1. 5 October 2013 Al-Faruq Battalion Armed attack Libyan Tarhunah 16 Libyan Army soldiers were assassinated after dawn prayers at the Malti Gate on the road between Tarhunah and Bani Walid. The Al-Faruq Battalion from Misrata has been blamed for the attack and has not denied its involvement.
2. 20 November 2013 Unknown Killing of demonstrators Libyan Tripoli Mass demonstrations in Tripoli calling for militias to leave the capital came under fire. 47 people were killed in the ensuing clashes.
3. 22 November 2013 Unknown Murder Libyan Darnah The secretary of the council of notables, elders and sheikhs was assassinated in Darnah.
4. 25 November 2013 Ansar al-Sharia Combat operations Libyan Benghazi Ansar al-Sharia clashed violently with Libyan Army special forces over several days. Seven people were killed and some 50 others injured. Following the clashes, unidentified persons attacked the Army several times, killing more than 10 people.
5. 27 November 2013 Ansar al-Sharia Vandalism/assassination Libyan Darnah The Murad Agha Mausoleum in Tajura' was blown up and two members of the special forces were assassinated in Darnah.
6. 28 November 2013 Unknown Closing of embassies Western embassies Tripoli At least four embassies, namely those of Britain, France, Malta and Greece, closed their offices in the Tripoli Tower.
7. 2 December 2013 Unknown Killing of demonstrators Libyan Benghazi An armed group met demonstrators with a hail of bullets, wounding five people. The group, which has not been officially identified, is probably affiliated with the extremist Ansar al-Sharia organization.
8. 3 December 2013 Unknown Abduction Libyan Al-Kufrah Unidentified persons abducted five Libyan Army soldiers.
9. 5 December 2013 Unknown Assassination United States of America Tripoli Four unidentified individuals opened fire from a vehicle on Ronnie Smith, a teacher from the United States of America, killing him instantly.
10. 7 December 2013 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi A car bomb seriously wounded a high-ranking official of the National Security Agency in Benghazi, eastern Libya.
11. 8 December 2013 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi A car bomb killed one person and injured five others in Benghazi, eastern Libya. According to a security official, the car bomb went off as mourners were leaving the funeral of Kamal Bazazah, a colonel in the National Security Agency. Most of the victims were senior security officials.
12. 11 December 2013 Unknown Abduction Libyan Darnah A Libyan parliamentarian was kidnapped.
13. 20 December 2013 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Unidentified armed individuals assassinated the officer responsible for military intelligence in Benghazi.
14. 23 December 2013 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi In a suicide attack, a vehicle packed with explosives was driven into the Barsis Gate, east of Benghazi, killing 13 special forces soldiers and wounding more than 10 others.
15. 29 December 2013 Unknown Siege Libyan Tripoli Protesters demanding the removal of Ali Zeidan, head of the Transitional Government of Libya, surrounded Government headquarters and forced a number of Government offices and ministries in Tripoli to close for several hours. They remained closed until Libyan Army units were deployed in the city. No clashes took place between the two sides.
16. 4 January 2014 Unknown Assassination British/New Zealand Sabratha The bodies of a British and of a New Zealand national were found on the beach near Melita, west of Sabratha. Both had gunshot wounds.
17. 9 January 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Sirte Hasan al-Dru'i, Deputy Minister of Industry and a former member of the Transitional National Council in Sirte was assassinated. He was shot several times by unidentified individuals while returning to his home in the second residential district of the city.
18. 16 January 2014 Unknown Siege Libyan Tripoli Armed individuals opened fire on the General National Congress (parliament) building in Tripoli. They also surrounded the building and prevented General National Congress members from leaving, following members' failure to agree to remove Ali Zeidan, head of the Transitional Government, from his post.
19. 19 January 2014 Unknown Abduction South Korean Tripoli Han Seok-Woo, a South Korean diplomat and the head of the Libya unit of the Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency was abducted.
20. 26 January 2014 Libya Revolutionaries Operation Room Abduction Egyptian Tripoli Five Egyptian diplomats were kidnapped in Tripoli following the arrest in Alexandria of Sha'ban Hidayah, (known as Abu Ubaydah al-Zawi), leader of the Libya Revolutionaries Operation Room.
21. 24 February 2014 Unknown Assassination Egyptian Benghazi The bodies of seven Egyptian Christian workers who had been shot dead were found in Benghazi, eastern Libya. Preliminary investigations conducted by the Egyptian and Libyan authorities indicate that the seven Egyptians had been deliberately taken from their homes and executed.
22. 27 February 2014 Unknown Siege Moroccan Tripoli The Moroccan Consulate General in Tripoli came under armed attack.
23. 27 February 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Armed individuals assassinated a Libyan Army officer in Garden City, Benghazi.
24. 27 February 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Sirte Makhluq al-Farjani, a member of the Sirte branch of the Supreme Security Committee was murdered.
25. 27 February 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Darnah Unidentified individuals bombed a perfume store in the centre of the city. There were no victims.
26. 27 February 2014 Libya Shield Force Assassination Libyan Sirte Members of the Central Shield stormed the headquarters of the 21st Battalion of the Special Forces in Sirte. The Battalion's commanding officer, Colonel Jamal al-Zahawi, stated that 11 soldiers had been killed. Direct negotiations had taken place the previous night with Central Shield commanders.
27. 18 March 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi A car bomb exploded at the main entrance of the Libyan Army base in Benghazi, eastern Libya, killing 11 soldiers and wounding 20 others. At the same time, the General National Congress was forced to suspend its session in the Tripoli parliament building owing to security warnings in the wake of attacks on several military installations.
28. 22 March 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Tripoli A time bomb was used to target the runway of Tripoli airport.
29. 22 March 2014 Unknown Abduction Tunisian Tripoli A Tunisian diplomat was kidnapped in Tripoli.
30. 13 April 2014 Shura Council of Tripoli Revolutionaries Abduction Libyan Tripoli Members of the Shura Council of Tripoli Revolutionaries carried out an armed attack against Prime Minister Abdallah al-Thinni, demanding that he make public what was said to be a secret agreement between the Government and the so-called Barqah Province Political Bureau to reopen closed oilfields and ports in the east of the country.
31. 16 April 2014 Libyan Islamic Fighting Group Abduction Jordanian Tripoli Masked and armed insurgents kidnapped Fawwaz al-Aytan, the Jordanian ambassador, from an area near the centre of Tripoli. Security sources stated that the family of Muhammad al-Darsi, a Libyan extremist held in a Jordanian prison, was behind the abduction, and that the perpetrators were members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
32. 17 April 2014 Unknown Attempted Assassination United States of America Tripoli A female Libyan security officer at the United States Embassy in Tripoli managed to escape from her kidnappers and reach a hospital, where she received treatment for wounds sustained as she fled.
33. 17 April 2014 Shabab al-Tawhid Abduction Tunisian Tripoli Shabab al-Tawhid, a Libyan terrorist group, kidnapped Mr. Arusi al-Qantasi, a Tunisian diplomat in Tripoli.
34. 20 April 2014 Unknown Burglary Portuguese Tripoli An attempt was made to storm and burgle the Portuguese Embassy in Tripoli.
35. 29 April 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi An explosion took place in front of the headquarters of the 21st Battalion (Special Forces). Two members of the Special Forces were killed and the main entrance was severely damaged.
36. 29 April 2014 Unknown Raid Libyan Tripoli Unidentified armed individuals stormed the Libyan Parliament during its evening session, which had been selecting a new prime minister. Members of parliament fled the building, and the selection of a prime minister was once more postponed.
37. 30 April 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Tripoli A car bomb exploded on Salahuldin Road, killing one individual and wounding others.
38. 2 May 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi A judicial police officer was murdered in Benghazi and a soldier belonging to the 133rd Infantry Battalion assigned to the Office of the Chief of Staff was wounded.
39. 2 May 2014 Unknown Attempted Abudction Libyan Benghazi Dr. Abdulhadi al-Zintani succeeded in avoiding abduction near his home in the Laythi area.
40. 2 May 2014 Ansar al-Sharia Armed attack Libyan Benghazi Clashes between the Special Forces and Ansar al-Sharia militias left nine people dead, three missing and 12 injured.
41. 2 May 2014 Unknown Attempted Assassination Libyan Benghazi Tariq Najam, a security services official, survived an assassination attempt in which unidentified gunmen shot at him in the Sabiri area of Benghazi.
42. 7 May 2014 Unknown Raid Libyan Tripoli An armed group stormed the building housing the Libyan cinematographic archives in the Zawiyat al-Dahmani area and moved the contents of the building to an unknown location. In a statement to a local news agency, the Libyan Minister of Culture, Habib al-Amin, said that the unidentified group prevented employees from entering the building.
43. 10 May 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Four Libyans were killed and 20 others injured during a demonstration near the military base of the Martyrs of 17 February Battalion. The demonstrators had been expressing support for the Army and the police and calling for armed militias to be disbanded.
44. 16 May 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Unidentified armed individuals assassinated two members of the Libyan Army Special Forces in Benghazi.
45. 16 May 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Unidentified armed men assassinated Shaykh Mansur Abdulkarim al-Bara'si in Benghazi.
46. 20 May 2014 Unknown Attempted Assassination Libyan Benghazi General Khalifah Haftar survived an assassination attempt when the soldiers protecting his house in Benghazi in eastern Libya were attacked by a group of unidentified assailants. The attack continued for several minutes before the assailants withdrew.
47. 22 May 2014 Unknown Assassination Chinese Benghazi Armed individuals in Benghazi killed a Chinese engineer who had been abducted from his place of work. The Chinese embassy stated that he was one of three engineers working at a Chinese-run company who had been abducted at work. The embassy stated that he was later found with gunshot wounds and died in hospital. His colleagues were released.
48. 24 May 2014 Unknown Missile attack Libyan Benghazi Two members of one family were killed and their children injured when their house was struck by a missile. Members of a second family were injured in two attacks on the Special Forces base in Benghazi.
49. 26 May 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Unidentified assailants shot and killed Miftah Awad Buzayd, a prominent Libyan journalist who had criticized the Islamists, near the Tibesti Hotel in Benghazi, eastern Libya.
50. 28 May 2014 Ansar al-Sharia Miscellaneous Libyan Benghazi Ansar al-Sharia militia forces fired several missiles and mortars at the National Security Agency building in Benghazi in an attempt to free three members of their organization who had been arrested after being caught in a vehicle packed with weapons and ammunition.
51. 29 May 2014 Unknown Miscellaneous Libyan Darnah The largest shop selling perfume and women's products was bombed. There were no victims.
52. 1 June 2014 Al-Qaida Vandalism Libyan Darnah The historic Sahaba Mausoleum in Darnah was destroyed by extremists affiliated with Al-Qaida. The mausoleum contained the remains of 70 companions of the Prophet Muhammad who had arrived in Libya with the army of Amr ibn al-'As.
53. 2 June 2014 Ansar al-Sharia/Libya Shield Force Miscellaneous Libyan Benghazi Forces loyal to the 17 February Martyrs' Brigade and the Ra'fullah al-Sahati companies, along with the Ansar al-Sharia organization and the Libya Shield Force, attacked the 21st Brigade with various types of heavy weaponry, causing numerous deaths and injuries.
54. 2 June 2014 Unknown Attempted Assassination Libyan Tripoli The Libyan Army Chief of Staff Major General Abdulsalam al-Ubaydi survived an assassination attempt when unidentified men opened fire on his convoy in a Tripoli suburb.
55. 4 June 2014 Unknown Assassination Swiss Sirte The Swiss national Michael Greub, the head of the branch office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Libya, was killed by armed men as he left a meeting in Sirte.
56. 5 June 2014 Unknown Attempted Assassination Libyan Benghazi Former Major General Khalifah Haftar, the leader of Operation Karamah (Dignity) survived an assassination attempt by a suicide bomber in a Land Cruiser rigged with explosives. The attack killed five soldiers and injured 23 others.
57. 7 June 2014 Unknown Attempted Assassination Libyan Tripoli Hashim Bashar, the former head of the Security Committee in Tripoli, reported that a car bomb directly targeted the home of his father and the rest of his family, damaging dozens of homes and cars at the site of the attack.
58. 7 June 2014 Unknown Armed operation Libyan Tripoli The headquarters of the Fatwa Council in Tripoli was attacked.
59. 11 June 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi A suicide attack involving a car bomb was carried out at the Barsas Gate east of Benghazi, killing the perpetrator and injuring five soldiers stationed at the gate.
60. 11 June 2014 Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries Assassination Libyan Benghazi The Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries carried out a surprise attack on Battalion 319, holding hostage and then killing in cold blood Libyan Army officer Adamin al-Tawarghi and six battalion members. Their bodies were mutilated and their pictures posted on a social network along with pictures of the leaders of the Shura Council and the Ansar al-Sharia organization.
61. 13 June 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Marj Unidentified men shot and killed the preacher of a mosque in Al-Salam area as he left the mosque after leading Friday prayers.
62. 23 June 2014 Unknown Armed attack Libyan Benghazi Armed men attacked the joint operations room in front of the Benghazi Port Gate, killing four people and injuring 15.
63. 25 June 2014 Ansar al-Sharia Assassination Libyan Benghazi The prominent human rights activist Salwa Buqu'ayqays was assassinated in Benghazi.
64. 26 June 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Bayda A car bomb exploded in front of the old Parliament hall in Bayda. The Constitution Drafting Assembly has been using the hall as its headquarters. There were no casualties.
65. 1 July 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Musa al-Majbari, an officer in the Army's Preventive Security Unit, was assassinated. A security official stated that the armed men intercepted him and riddled him with bullets.
66. 3 July 2014 Unknown Threats Libyan Tripoli The Libyan Minister of Culture Al-Habib Al-Amin reported that he had received explicit death threats from an armed group that had raided his home in Tripoli, ransacked his belongings and shot at him.
67. 4 July 2014 Unknown Abduction Libyan Tripoli Shaykh Tariq Ahmad Abbasi, the imam of a Tripoli mosque, was abducted.
68. 6 July 2014 Unknown Threats Libyan Tripoli Some Sufi elders in Libya reported that they had received threats of abduction from extremist Islamist groups.
69. 11 July 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Unidentified individuals assassinated Colonel Tawfiq al-Shaykhi from the office of the Libyan Army Chief of Staff.
70. 17 July 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Darnah Unidentified individuals assassinated Fariha Muhammad al-Barkawi, a member of the General National Congress of Darnah, opening fire on her vehicle near Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque, which is located in the vicinity of her home.
71. 18 July 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Tripoli A car bomb exploded in front of the Al-'Aqm centre in the Gharghur area near the checkpoint belonging to the first company of the Third Brigade under the Office of the Chief of Staff.
72. 21 July 2014 Unknown Shelling Egyptian Benghazi Two Egyptian nationals were killed and a third was injured by shells that hit their residence in the Bu Atni area of Benghazi.
73. 23 July 2014 Ansar al-Sharia Assassination Libyan Benghazi The extremist organization Ansar al-Sharia published pictures of a raid on a Libyan Army barracks in Benghazi, in which it had seized weapons and spoils following bloody clashes in the city that killed at least 16 people and injured 81. The clashes occurred near the Special Forces barracks in the Bu Atni area of Benghazi.
74. 24 July 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Radi al-Zawi, a media activist, former captive, retired colonel and candidate for the House of Representatives, was assassinated by armed individuals, who riddled him with bullets and fled into the city park.
75. 24 July 2014 Libyan Islamic Fighting Group Siege Libyan Tripoli Armed militias prevented the temporary Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni from leaving the Mu'aytiqah Airport heading to Tubruq city. The airport is controlled by fighters loyal to Abdulhakim Belhaj, the former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
76. 27 July 2014 Unknown Shelling Egyptian Tripoli Twenty-three Egyptian workers were killed by a rocket that hit their residence in Mazra'ah, in the Karimiyah area, during clashes between militias fighting for control of the main port in Tripoli.
77. 31 July 2014 Unknown Killing Filipino Tripoli A Filipino national was beheaded, and a Filipino nurse was gang-raped.
78. 12 August 2014 Libya Dawn Assassination Libyan Tripoli Unidentified individuals shot and killed Colonel Muhammad Suwaysi, the head of Tripoli police, as he was leaving a municipal council meeting in the Tajura' area.
79. 19 August 2014 Unknown Shelling Libyan Tripoli Unidentified individuals fired Grad rockets at the Al-Andalus and Qarqarish areas, killing three people.
80. 25 August 2014 Libya Dawn Miscellaneous Libyan Tripoli Forces taking part in the so-called Libya Dawn and Qasurah operations carried out extensive reprisals against some fighters loyal to the Al-Qa'qa' and Sawa'iq Brigades of the Libyan Army, which had withdrawn from Tripoli Airport and the surrounding areas.
81. 29 August 2014 Al-Qaida Rocket fire Libyan Bayda Some 12 Grad rockets were fired at the Abraq airport without causing material or human losses.
82. 1 September 2014 Libya Dawn Armed operation Libyan Tripoli The transitional Libyan Government in the east of the country declared that it had lost control over most Government ministries and institutions in Tripoli after rival armed groups seized control of the capital.
83. 4 September 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Lieutenant Colonel Wanis al-Awami, a prominent figure who was commander of the military police prison and, before that, served as warden of the political prison, was killed in Benghazi.
84. 20 September 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Brigadier Ahmad al-Mismari, former Chief of Staff of the Libyan Air Force, was assassinated.
85. 20 September 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi A series of unconnected assassination attempts claimed 13 victims, including the Islamic preacher Salim Ba'yu and an Egyptian national. Four people survived.
86. 23 September 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Bayda A car exploded near the headquarters of the Constitution Drafting Assembly in Bayda, destroying three cars. No one was killed.
87. 1 October 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi Two electrical towers were bombed in the Sidi Faraj and Marawah areas of Benghazi. The targeted power lines, which link the cities and regions of the east of the country, were severely damaged.
88. 2 October 2014 Ansar al-Sharia Miscellaneous Libyan Benghazi Some 36 people were killed and another 60 injured in a series of surprise suicide attacks carried out by members of terrorist groups against Army barracks and in bloody clashes in the Benina area of Benghazi, in the eastern region of Libya. Members of Ansar al-Sharia carried out five synchronized suicide attacks and used an ambulance to bomb an Army gate.
89. 4 October 2014 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Miscellaneous Libyan Darnah Numerous armed ISIL fighters demonstrated through the streets of Darnah, bearing the organization's flag in a procession including dozens of armed vehicles.
90. 5 October 2014 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan Darnah The Jaysh al-Islam organization organized a crowded gathering in Al-Sahabah Square in downtown Darnah. The event was titled "The first meeting of the Caliphate based on the Prophetic model". The organizers demanded that the hundreds of residents of Darnah at the gathering repent and join ISIL.
91. 10 October 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi One person was killed and another injured in a terrorist operation in Benghazi, when a car bomb exploded in Al-Shahid Abdulsalam al-Masmari Square opposite the Tibisti Hotel.
92. 15 October 2014 Ansar al-Sharia Armed operation Libyan Benghazi Armed Ansar al-Sharia fighters attacked an Army base in Benghazi.
93. 17 October 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi A suicide bombing operation killed four soldiers in the Bu Hadimah area of Benghazi.
94. 22 October 2014 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan Darnah The Islamic Youth Shura Council announced the establishment of a so-called Islamic tribunal, presided over by the terrorist Abu al-Bara' al-Azdi, a Yemeni national and member of ISIL. They executed four Libyan nationals.
95. 22 October 2014 Unknown Raid Egyptian Tripoli Armed men raided the completely empty Egyptian Embassy headquarters and opened fire for several minutes.
96. 29 October 2014 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan Darnah An extremist group called on the people of Darnah in the eastern region of Libya to publicly declare their allegiance to the leader of ISIL on Friday, 31 October 2014.
97. 1 November 2014 Libya Dawn Combat operations Libyan Kikla Twenty people were killed and another 80 injured by indiscriminate, intense bombardment and clashes between the Libyan Army forces and Libya Dawn forces in Jabal al-Gharbi, Kikla.
98. 1 November 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi Three people were injured by shrapnel when a shell landed near a house near the previous location of the Fadil Bu Umar Brigade in the Birkah area of Benghazi.
99. 1 November 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi A car bomb exploded on the highway underneath the Al-Arab Medical University in Benghazi. There were no injuries, but damage was inflicted on the maternity ward of the Benghazi Medical Centre, which is located near the site of the explosion.
100. 1 November 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Darnah Unknown gunmen assassinated Group Captain Abdulrazaq Awad bin Ali in Wadi Imbakh in the Salam area of Darnah.
101. 2 November 2014 Unknown Combat operations Libyan Benghazi Medical and military sources in Benghazi reported that some 36 people were killed in clashes between the Libyan Army and the forces of the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries.
102. 2 November 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Darnah An unknown group attacked the Al-Jabal Hotel (a meeting place for writers and artists) in the city of Darnah using an explosive device. No one was injured.
103. 3 November 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Tripoli In the Awlad al-Mirghani area near the Friday market in Tripoli, the mausoleum of Shaykh Ahmad al-Mirghani was bombed and razed to the ground. The mosque was built over 700 years ago and was registered as a Libyan historic site.
104. 5 November 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Darnah Unidentified individuals abducted civilian Muhammad al-Mismari, a member of the civilian movement in support of the Army and Police, in front of the Wahdah Bank in Darnah. Five days later, his beheaded body was found in the Fata'ih area of Darnah.
105. 5 November 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Bayda The body of Miftah Bu Nafirah al-'Awkali, the director of the Al-Hakim Charitable Association was found on the Abyar area road in Bayda. Unidentified individuals had abducted him from his shop in the city. The body bore traces of torture.
106. 8 November 2014 Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries Combat operations Libyan Benghazi Five dead and 28 injured Libyan Army soldiers were brought to Marj General Hospital in the wake of clashes in Benghazi between the Libyan Army, on the one hand, and the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries and the Ansar al Sharia organization, on the other.
107. 9 November 2014 Unknown Abduction Libyan Tripoli An armed group abducted the soldier Hasan Shuwayshin from in front of the Mahari market in Tripoli.
108. 9 November 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Shahhat Two car bombs exploded in front of the headquarters of the National Security Agency, which is located near the temporary headquarters of the Transitional Government in Shahhat. The explosions caused extensive material damage, but no one was killed. It should be noted that the explosions coincided with the visit of the United Nations envoy, Bernardino Leon, to Government headquarters to meet with Prime Minister Abdullah Al Thinni. The 312th Battalion disabled another car bomb in front of Qarnadah military camp in Shahhat.
109. 9 November 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Khums The body of Abdullah al Musallati, Deputy Prosecutor in the Office of the Military Prosecutor, Khums, and who was known for his opposition to the Libya Dawn operation, was found dumped alongside the road near the ruins of Leptis Magna, near Khums. The victim's hands had been bound.
110. 9 November 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Sirte A car bomb exploded in the Sirte resort, third residential district, without loss of life.
111. 10 November 2014 Unknown Shelling Libyan Benghazi A warehouse of medical supplies was completely burned after it had been shelled during the battles that took place in Benghazi between the Libyan Army, on the one hand, and the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries and the Ansar al Sharia organization, on the other.
112. 10 November 2014 Unknown Shelling Libyan Benghazi Four shells fell on the headquarters of the Civil Defence in Sidi Husyan area of Benghazi. No one was killed by the shelling.
113. 11 November 2014 Libya Shield Miscellaneous Libyan Benghazi Eyewitnesses indicated that members of what is known as the Libya Shield ransacked the home of Abdulhafidh Ghuqah, a former member of the Transitional National Council, in the Bal'awn area of Benghazi. They also burned the house of the deceased rights activist Salwa Buqu'ayqays in the Hawari area, as well as the house of the deceased Colonel Salah Buhaliqah, the house of Isma'il al Salabi and the homes of a number of Libyan Army officers in Benghazi.
114. 11 November 2014 Unknown Abduction Libyan Sirte In Sirte, armed persons abducted Ahmad Ali 'Isa al-Warfali, the Chairman of the Board of the Great Man-made River Water Utilization Authority for the central region.
115. 12 November 2014 Katibat Ubat al-Dhulm (Battalion of those who reject injustice) Assassination Libyan Benghazi A group calling itself Katibat Ubat al-Dhulm posted a video recording of the execution of Muhammad Miftah Bunahzah, a volunteer from the Libyan Army's Baninah Air Base. The victim was a resident of Suluq, which is located south-west of Benghazi. The video shows the volunteer's throat being cut, after which he is decapitated.
116. 12 November 2014 Unknown Raid Libyan Bayda' Four Libyan Army soldiers were killed when a suicide attacker drove a car bomb up to the gate of the Abraq military airport.
117. 12 November 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Tubruq A car bomb driven by a suicide attacker exploded in the 'Ajaj market near the Petroleum Institute in Tubruq, killing 3 persons and injuring 12 others.
118. 13 November 2014 Unknown Bombing Egyptian Tripoli A car bomb exploded near the Egyptian Embassy in the Zawiyat al Dahmani area of Tripoli. The explosion injured two members of the diplomatic protection service and caused some material damage.
119. 13 November 2014 Unknown Bombing United Arab Emirates Tripoli A car bomb exploded on the perimeter of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Tripoli. Although no one was killed by the explosion, there was some material damage.
120. 13 November 2014 Libya Dawn Abduction Libyan Tripoli Armed men abducted Ahmad Abu Lusayn, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics, from the university campus in Tripoli. One of his friends suggested that the abductors were members of the so-called Libya Dawn and that they had abducted him in order to force him to resign his post, so that a Libya Dawn supporter could be appointed in his place.
121. 13 November 2014 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan -- Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the emir of ISIL, in an audio statement entitled "However much the infidels are averse" that was broadcast by the Furqan Organization, the media arm of ISIL, declared that his state had expanded to include a number of countries, including Libya, the Land of the Two Holy Mosques, Yemen, Egypt and Algeria, and that they were now new provinces of the Islamic state.
122. 13 November 2014 Unknown Attempted bombing Libyan Benghazi The Libyan Army disarmed a car bomb that had been packed with three tons of explosives in the Hayy al-Salam area of Benghazi.
123. 15 November 2014 Libya Dawn Dispersal of protesters Libyan Tripoli Unidentified persons, believed by eyewitnesses to be members of Libya Dawn, fired on demonstrators who were commemorating the bloody events of Gharghur that occurred in the Libyan capital one year ago, injuring some of them. The demonstrators were speaking out in support of the elected House of Representatives and what is known as the Operation Karamah (Dignity).
124. 16 November 2014 Unknown Shelling Egyptian Benghazi The bodies of two Egyptian 2014 workers and four other injured persons were brought to Benghazi Medical Centre after the bakery in which they worked had been struck by an indiscriminately fired shell. The incident occurred in the Hawari area of Benghazi, where there had been fighting between the Libyan Army, on the one hand, and the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries and the Ansar al Sharia organization, on the other.
125. 17 November 2014 Libya Dawn Miscellaneous Libyan Tripoli In an interview with the British newspaper The Times, Omar al Hassi, the head of what is known as the National Salvation Government, admitted that Libya Dawn forces are fighting alongside Ansar al Sharia against the forces of Al-Haftar, the leader of the Operation Karamah (Dignity). He said that the organization had a simple, beautiful and loving ideology. He had previously characterized it as a proselytizing group.
126. 18 November 2014 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan Darnah In an interview with Cable News Network, Bernardino Leon, the Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), warned of the rise in the numbers of ISIL supporters in Darnah in eastern Libya. He noted that this would present a big problem in the future.
127. 18 November 2014 Libya Dawn Threats French Tripoli The team of the France 24 channel closed its office in Tripoli after its correspondent, Sirin al Amari, was threatened. The threats were an attempt by Libya Dawn forces, which control the capital, to influence the channel's news policy.
128. 19 November 2014 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan Tripoli ISIL published pictures of its fighters who the organization said were in a city in western Libya, which had been designated the province of Tripoli. The photos were captioned "The lions of the caliphate in Tripoli province" by the media office of the so-called Tripoli province.
129. 19 November 2014 Unknown Miscellaneous Libyan - Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), called on all parties in Libya to protect the country's unique cultural heritage. She made her call after alarming reports were received regarding the increase in the destruction of, illicit trade in and acts of aggression against the cultural heritage of Libya.
130. 24 November 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Tripoli In Tripoli, unidentified armed persons assassinated Colonel Mukhtar Musaddaq al Nabbah al Nayli, the head of the technical office of Libyan intelligence.
131. 24 November 2014 Unknown Raid Libyan Tripoli Unidentified persons invaded the home of the mother of Arif al Nayid, the Ambassador of Libya to the United Arab Emirates, in the Ben Ashur area of Tripoli. They destroyed some of the home's contents and burned others. No one was hurt in the invasion.
132. 25 November 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Benghazi Four persons who work for the General Service Company were brought to Jala' Hospital for Surgery and Accidents after they had been injured when a bomb placed in a rubbish bin exploded in the Salmani 206 area of Benghazi.
133. 25 November 2014 Unknown Raid Libyan Zawiyah In Zawiyah, an armed group using rocket-propelled grenades attacked the home of Imhamad Shu'ayb, the First Deputy President of the House of Representatives.
134. 26 November 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Sirte In the centre of Sirte, a huge blast caused by the detonation of a high-explosive device caused substantial damage to commercial and service buildings.
135. 28 November 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Ajdabiya Armed persons assassinated Air Commodore Abdulmajid al Kasih al Zawwi, one of the commanders of the Libyan Army, in Wifaq Street, Ajdabiya.
136. 28 November 2014 ISIL Assassination Libyan Darnah In early November 2014, the so-called information office of Barqah province published pictures on the Minbar website of what it called the first popular gathering of Muslims to support their caliph, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, adding that the purpose of the gathering was to break down the barriers between the Islamic state and Muslims.
137. 28 November 2014 Unknown Abduction Libyan Tripoli Sheikh Muhammad al Ja'fari, was abducted in the Bab al 'Aziziyah district of Tripoli. Al Ja'fari was known for his sermons against takfirism.
138. 29 November 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Benghazi Armed persons assassinated Fathi al 'Ubaydi, an expert in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department, as he stepped out of his home in Markabat Street in the Hawari district of Benghazi.
139. 30 November 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Tripoli Unidentified persons assassinated Air Commodore Ahmad al 'Akrami in the Siraj area west of Tripoli.
140. 30 November 2014 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan Darnah The information office of the so-called Barqah province, which is alleged to be part of ISIL, published pictures depicting the deployment of members of the Hisbah Office for the Promotion of Virtue and the Suppression of Vice in the streets and markets of what is believed to be the city of Darnah, with a view to ensuring that Muslims apply the rules of sharia in their daily activities and business transactions.
141. 1 December 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Ajdabiya Three security officers were injured yesterday when two car bombs exploded near the offices of the security services in the city.
142. 1 December 2014 Libya Dawn Raid United States of America Tripoli Armed persons belonging to the Libya Dawn forces invaded and ransacked the compound of the Embassy of the United States of America in Tripoli.
143. 2 December 2014 Unknown Shelling Libyan Benghazi A shell landed on a funeral in the Bin Yunus area of Benghazi, killing 11 civilians and injuring six, during clashes between the Libyan Army, on the one hand, and the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries and the Ansar al-Sharia organization, on the other.
144. 8 December 2014 Unknown Closing of embassies Belarusian Tripoli The Republic of Belarus closed its embassy in Tripoli amid escalating armed conflict in the country.
145. 9 December 2014 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan Darnah ISIL circulated pictures of its militants in the city of Darnah, in what it described as the "Province of Barqah". The pictures showed armed members of the terrorist group taking up positions in various parts of the city.
146. 10 December 2014 Libya Dawn Raid Libyan Tripoli Armed Libya Dawn fighters raided the headquarters of the Libya Africa Portfolio, Tripoli, in order to install as new manager Mohsen Derregia, who had been appointed by the so-called Salvation Government under Omar al-Hassi, and to compel the Portfolio's employees to return to work under Derregia.
147. 11 December 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Ajdabiya Armed men attacked the 149th Infantry Battalion in Dawran Island, Ajdabiya, killing three soldiers.
148. 13 December 2014 Unknown Combat operations Libyan Benghazi According to an Algerian intelligence source, the Algerian leader of the organization Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Abu Yunus Jaylabi Mansur, was killed in Benghazi.
149. 14 December 2014 Unknown Attempted assassination Libyan Tripoli Gunmen in a car opened fire on the deputy leader of the National Forces Alliance party and Chancellor of Tripoli University, Faisal Krekshi, while he was leaving his house. He survived the assassination attempt.
150. 14 December 2014 Unknown Miscellaneous Egyptian Abu Kammash Two Egyptians were killed and four wounded in clashes in the Abu Kammash area, near the Ra's Jadir crossing.
151. 15 December 2014 Unknown Abduction Libyan Tripoli Mas'ud al-Kanuni, a Professor of Constitutional Law at Tripoli University, was abducted in front of Suq Mahari in Zawiyat al-Dahmani, Tripoli. He holds political and legal opinions critical of the Political Isolation Act and of the ruling of the Constitutional Court.
152. 20 December 2014 Unknown Raid Swiss Tripoli Unidentified armed men stormed the residence of the Swiss Ambassador, Erwin Hofer, in Tripoli, and ransacked his property before being forced to flee the scene by security forces.
153. 25 December 2014 Unknown Assassination Libyan Sirte Fourteen soldiers of the 136th (Jalit) Infantry Battalion of the Libyan Army were killed while guarding the Gulf Steam electrical station west of the city.
154. 25 December 2014 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan Benghazi The so-called Media Office of Barqah Province, which is affiliated with the extremist organization ISIL, published an illustrated report of the raiding and arson of homes described as belonging to "apostates" in the Laythi area.
155. 25 December 2014 Libya Dawn Armed attack Libyan Sirte Libya Dawn forces attacked the oil installations at Ra's Lanuf, launching a Grad missile that hit a petroleum reservoir in the oil port of Sidrah. The fire spread to other reservoirs in the oilfield, consuming over 1,200,000 barrels of oil.
156. 25 December 2014 Libyan Islamic Fighting Group Armed operation Libyan Tripoli Clashes broke out around the Warshafanah area west of Tripoli.
157. 27 December 2014 ISIL Bombing Libyan Tripoli A car bomb exploded in front of the building of the Department of Protection of Diplomatic Missions under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tripoli. There were no victims.
158. 30 December 2014 Unknown Bombing Libyan Tubruq A car bomb exploded in front of a hotel in which the elected Libyan Parliament was meeting, in the eastern Libyan city of Tubruq. Three members of parliament were injured.
159. 2 January 2015 ISIL Armed attack Libyan Sawkanah ISIL attacked the Alfat gate in Sawkanah, southern Libya, killing nine members of the 168th Infantry Battalion who had been guarding the gate and six people who worked at the gate.
160. 6 January 2015 ISIL Assassination Libyan Tubruq The website Jihadist Media Pulpit published pictures showing ISIL executing the Libyan soldier Salih Idris in eastern Libya.
161. 9 January 2015 Unknown Abduction Libyan Tripoli Unidentified armed men abducted Muhammad al-Farjani, a member of the Mayah Municipal Council and the Warshafanah Crisis Committee, in the Mayah area west of Tripoli. A source close to the family states that he was taken from a relative's house, which the armed men had raided in order to seize Salim Daww Barini al-Sahli, a writer and activist who is known in the area for his opposition to the activities of Libya Dawn. His brother, Ahmad Daww Barini al-Sahli, was taken to an unknown location along with Al Farjani.
162. 10 January 2015 Shura Council of Darnah Mujahidin Armed attack Libyan Darnah Ansar al-Sharia militants killed nine people, including five Libyan Army soldiers, in Darnah. Fifteen others on both sides were injured in fierce clashes when the militants attacked a Libyan Army position in the Ayn Marah area to the west of Darnah city.
163. 12 January 2015 ISIL Abduction Egyptian Sirte The organization ISIL in the Province of Tripoli claimed responsibility for the abduction of 21 Egyptian Copts.
164. 13 January 2015 Unknown Bombing Libyan Adjabiya A car bomb driven by a suicide bomber exploded near the position of the Libyan Army at the Jalladiyah gate to the east of Ajdabiya city. Three soldiers were killed and four injured.
165. 17 January 2015 ISIL Bombing Libyan Tripoli ISIL claimed responsibility for the planting of an explosive device under a security forces car that had been guarding the Algerian embassy in Tripoli. One policeman and two civilians were injured.
166. 19 January 2015 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan Tripoli The Suq al-Thulatha' in Tripoli was set ablaze, purportedly to enforce the Sharia, on the grounds that men and women were mixing in the market.
167. 20 January 2015 ISIL Sabotage Libyan Darnah The so-called Media Office of Barqah Province, which is affiliated with ISIL, published pictures of ISIL militants demolishing a grave and smashing and destroying an ancient statue.
168. 22 January 2015 Unknown Assassination Libyan Sirte Unidentified armed men assassinated the acting Director of Security in Sirte, Colonel Al-Sanusi Ka'ibah and his in -law Mustafa al-Sharif al-Maslati in the town centre.
169. 22 January 2015 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan Tripoli In a video recording in the Amazigh language, the Tripoli Province branch of ISIL called on the Touareg people of Libya, Algeria and northern Mali to join ISIL and swear allegiance to its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
170. 23 January 2015 Unknown Armed attack Libyan Tripoli Unidentified men shot at three guards outside a United Nations development office in the Nawfalin area of Tripoli. One of the duty officers was killed.
171. 27 January 2015 ISIL Miscellaneous Libyan -- An ISIL website published a detailed report entitled "Libya: strategic gateway of the Islamic State". The report explains why the organization is interested in Libya, and the most significant factors that make it an important starting point towards realizing the so-called Islamic caliphate.
172 27 January 2015 ISIL Armed attack Libyan/other nationalities Tripoli ISIL claimed responsibility for the huge terrorist attack on the Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli. The hotel was attacked by a car bomb, which was followed by several armed men who attempted to take hostages. The Police then stormed the hotel and eliminated the terrorists. There were eight victims: an American, two Koreans, a Jordanian civilian pilot and some Filipino nationals. Eleven people were wounded, four of them seriously.

Bookshop Donate Radio Nizkor

Libya War
small logoThis document has been published on 16Apr15 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.