The Fezzan campaign was a military campaign conducted by the National Liberation Army to take control of southwestern

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

during the

Libyan Civil War Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...

. During April to June 2011, anti-Gaddafi forces gained control of most of the eastern part of the southern desert region (i.e. the southern part of

Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή ��παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...

) during the Cyrenaican desert campaign. In July,

Qatrun Qatrun, Al Katrun, Gatrone, or Al Gatrun ( ar, القطرون) is a village in the Murzuq District in southern Libya on the main road to Chad and Niger. It has a filling station (gas station) and a Niger consulate office is located there. When the ...

changed to anti-Gaddafi control on 17 July and back to pro-Gaddafi control on 23 July. In late August, anti- and pro-Gaddafi forces struggled for control of Sabha.

Background

Before the war, parts of southern Libya were known for being almost lawless, and travel was often restricted in some areas due to the presence of bands of militants and bandits (often filtering across the border from

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

) roaming the desert between towns. Clashes between Islamic militants linked to Al-Qaeda and Libyan security forces occurred several times near the town of

Ghat Ghat, a term used in the Indian subcontinent, depending on the context could refer either to a range of stepped hills with valleys (ghati in Hindi), such as the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats; or the series of steps leading down to a body of ...

in the years leading up to the conflict. Further south, near the border with Chad, the terrain is made hazardous by landmines in the desert left over from the Chadian-Libyan conflict, which lasted from 1978 to 1987. The far south also lacks paved roads and functioning mobile phone services, making communication difficult even in peacetime.

Preceding events

Following the Cyrenaican desert campaign mounted by loyalist forces, focus shifted to the southern part of the

Libyan Desert The Libyan Desert (not to be confused with the Libyan Sahara) is a geographical region filling the north-eastern Sahara Desert, from eastern Libya to the Western Desert of Egypt and far northwestern Sudan. On medieval maps, its use predates t ...

. By mid-June 2011, the Eastern Desert was under the control of forces answering to the

National Transitional Council The National Transitional Council of Libya ( ar, المجلس الوطني الإنتقالي '), sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, was the ''de facto'' government of Libya for a period during and after the Libyan Civil War ...

in Benghazi. Clashes in Sabha, the largest city in the

Fezzan Fezzan ( , ; ber, ⴼⵣⵣⴰⵏ, Fezzan; ar, فزان, Fizzān; la, Phazania) is the southwestern region of modern Libya. It is largely desert, but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys (wadis) in the north, where oases enable ...

, in mid-June suggested previously unknown vulnerabilities in a settlement thought to be a loyalist stronghold. Although anti-Gaddafi activists and fighters in Sabha were successfully suppressed, the NTC suggested that the bold attempt at uprising was indicative of cracks in Gaddafi's support base in the oasis city.

The campaign

Moving out of

Kufra Kufra () is a basinBertarelli (1929), p. 514. and oasis group in the Kufra District of southeastern Cyrenaica in Libya. At the end of nineteenth century Kufra became the centre and holy place of the Senussi order. It also played a minor role in ...

, a population center in the southeastern desert, rebel forces moved through

Murzuq District Murzuq ( ar, مرزق ''Murzuq'') is one of the districts of Libya. It is in the south of the country. Its capital is Murzuk. The city was occupied by the Ottoman Empire in 1578 and served as the capital of Fezzan off and on until the Ottomans ...

along the international border with Chad and

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesTumu border crossing and took

on 17 July, without a shot, also capturing a military airfield and outpost at Al Wigh near the Niger border. Pro-Gaddafi forces were believed to have withdrawn to

Traghan Traghan or Traghen ( ar, تراغن) is a small town in the Murzuk Desert in Murzuq District in southwest Libya. It is located east of Murzuk and Zizau. A good high road is said to link Traghan to Zizau in the west, with frequent incrustations o ...

in order to block a suspected rebel advance on Sabha, but rebel forces bypassed Traghan in their northward press in order to capture the village of Umm Al Aranib as a forward base. Loyalist forces attacked

three times before finally recapturing it on 23 July. Toubou tribesmen, who declared support to the

, retreated to the south of the town, leaving about 20,000 civilians trapped between them and the army. At least two people are thought to had been killed and eight wounded in the final attack to retake the town. On 5 August,

Alain Juppé Alain Marie Juppé (; born 15 August 1945) is a French politician. A member of The Republicans (France), The Republicans, he was Prime Minister of France from 1995 to 1997 under President Jacques Chirac, during which period he faced 1995 strikes ...

, the French foreign minister, claimed that the southern regions of Libya are "practically under the NTC's control". There was no confirmation of the claim by either independent media, the loyalists or the rebels.

Toubou The Toubou or Tubu (from Old Tebu, meaning "rock people") are an ethnic group native to the Tibesti Mountains that inhabit the central Sahara in northern Chad, southern Libya and northeastern Niger. They live either as herders and nomads or as ...

tribal fighters reportedly captured

Murzuk Murzuk, Murzuq, Murzug or Merzug ( ar, مرزق) is an oasis town and the capital of the Murzuq District in the Fezzan region of southwest Libya.Robinson, Harry (1960) "Murzuq" ''The Mediterranean Lands'' University Tutorial Press, London, p. 414 ...

Jufra

At least one NTC official suggested that the

Jufra District Jufra or Jofra ( ar, الجفرة, Al Jufrah) is one of the districts of Libya. It is in the centre of the country. Its capital is Hun. Jufra was originally one of the 25 baladiya in the administrative system of Libya established in 1988. In 200 ...

, including Hun, Waddan, and neighbouring towns, as well as the

Al Jufra Air Base Al Jufra Airbase is a Libyan Air Force base in Waddan, northeast of Hun, a desert city in the Jufra District of Libya. It was originally used by the Libyan Arab Air Force from 1969 to 2011. The runway length does not include paved overruns on ...

, was a key target, more valuable than Bani Walid or Sirte. On 19 September, NTC forces took over Zella, an oasis town near the Jufra area,

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

reported. On 21 September, pro-Gaddafi forces shelled the town of Hun after NTC forces reportedly took control of it. On the same day, the NTC announced that they took control over the town of Jufra and surrounding area. This was later confirmed at a NATO press conference by Lieutenant General

Charles Bouchard Lieutenant General Joseph Jacques Charles "Charlie" Bouchard (born 1956) is a retired Royal Canadian Air Force general. He has served as Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division / Canadian NORAD Region, the Deputy Commander of North American Ae ...

Sabha

Several months after clashes occurred in the southern Libyan city of Sabha in June, Libyan opposition forces reported fierce fighting between revolutionary fighters and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi on 23 August. Several days later, on 25 August, rebels claimed to have again captured the outpost of Al Wigh, several hundred kilometres south of Sabha, towards the Libya/Chad/Niger

tripoint A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...

. On 28 August, three NLA soldiers were killed in the city of Sabha after they ran out of ammunition. Pro-Gaddafi brigades were joined by reinforcements from other towns. On the same day, Colonel Bani of the NLA forces said that they would "advance on" Sabha after taking control of Sirte on the coast. On 4 September, NLA forces claimed that they had surrounded Sabha. The city would receive humanitarian aid but has one week to surrender. On 19 September, spokesman for NTC Ministry of Defence, Col. Ahmed Bani, announced at a press conference that NTC fighters managed to capture Sabha airport and fort. There was no immediate independent verification of his claims. On 20 September, NTC forces entered the city of Sabha, taking the city center with little resistance. A CNN reporter accompanied NTC forces, confirming the reports. An NTC military spokesman in Benghazi said Sabha Airport was under the control of anti-Gaddafi fighters, but fighting was continuing in some quarters of the city proper.

Brak

On 14 September, an NTC Commander said an anti-Gaddafi column 500 strong (coming from the north/ Mizda region) had captured the military air-base at Brak in south-central Libya, some 50 kilometres north of Sabha. The NTC commander (Ahamda Almagri) also said two Gaddafi loyalists were arrested, while 70 loyalists fled the air-base, the second-largest in the south of Libya. On the morning of 15 September, anti-Gaddafi forces entered the city itself where fighting erupted. On 16 September, anti-Gaddafi forces had taken control over the towns of Brak and Gira, just 50 kilometers north of Sabha. During the fighting, incoming rocket fire struck the airbase, that the rebels captured the day before, which ignited the underground ammunition stores that held thousands of artillery rounds causing massive explosions. A day later, on 17 September, the rest of the towns in

Wadi al Shatii District Wadi al Shati ( ar, وادي الشاطئ ), sometimes referred to as ''Ashati'' ( ar, الشاطئ, links=no), is one of the districts of Libya in the central-west part of the country. The area is mostly desert. Wadi al Shati District is named a ...

were peacefully taken by NTC forces.

Murzuq

On 21 September, after NTC forces have taken control of Sabha, Desert Shield Brigade spokesman in Benghazi said that NTC forces moved from Sabha south and engaged pro-Gaddafi loyalists in town Traghan, between Umm al-Aranib and capital city of district Murzuq.

Ubari

On 22 September, an NTC commander in Sabha told CNN correspondent Ben Wedeman that his forces have taken control over the town of

Ubari Ubari or Awbari (Berber language: Ubari or Awbari; ar, أوباري, ‘Awbārī) is a Tuareg Berber–speaking oasis town and the capital of the Wadi al Hayaa District, in the Fezzan region of southwestern Libya. It is in the Idehan Ubari, a ...

, the capital of the

Wadi al Hayaa District Wadi al Hayaa ( ar, وادي الحياة ''Wādī al Ḥayāh'') is one of the districts of Libya. Its capital is the city of Ubari. As of 2006, it had a population of 72,587, area of and a population density of 2.28 persons per square kilomet ...

Ghat

By 25 September, fighting moved onto the border town of

where the last remnants of pro-Gaddafi loyalists in Fezzan were claimed to be stationed. The same day, NTC forces took control over Ghat airport, located north of the city and a day later Ghat itself and the Tinkarine border crossing with Algeria.

References

{{Libyan civil war Battles of the First Libyan Civil War History of Fezzan