Libyan National Army

(Redirected from Haftar Armed Forces)

The Libyan National Army (LNA; Arabic: الجيش الوطني الليبي, al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii) or the Libyan Arab Army (LAA; Arabic: الجيش العربي الليبي, al-Jaysh al-'Arabiyy al-Lībii)[3] is a component of Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar when he was nominated to the role on 2 March 2015[28] by the House of Representatives, consisting at the time of a ground force, an air force and a navy.

Libyan National Army
الجيش العربي الليبي
Also known asLibyan National Army[2]
Libyan Arab Army[3][4]
Haftar Armed Forces[5]
Supreme CommanderKhalifa Haftar
Commander-in-chiefMohammed al-Menfi
Chief of General StaffAbdulrazek al-Nadoori
Dates of operation2014–present
AllegianceLibya House of Representatives
HeadquartersTobruk, Libya
Active regionsEastern and central Libya
IdeologyArab nationalism[6]
Secularism[7]
Anti-imperialism[8]
Madkhalism (factions)[9]
Gaddafism (factions)[9]
Size25,000[10]–85,000+[11]
AlliesState allies:
Libya Government of National Stability
 Egypt[12]
 United Arab Emirates[13]
 Syria[14][15]
 Saudi Arabia[16]
 Russia[13]
 United States[17]
 United Kingdom[18]
 Morocco
Non-state allies:
Sudan Rapid Support Forces[19]
Wagner Group[20]
 Hezbollah (allegedly, denied by LNA)[21][22]
OpponentsState opponents:
Libya Government of National Accord
Libya Government of National Unity (since 2022)
 Turkey[23]
 Qatar[24]
 Algeria
Non-state opponents:
Syrian opposition Syrian National Army[25]
Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries
 Islamic State
Muslim Brotherhood[26]
 Hamas[27]
Battles and wars
Flag

In 2014, LNA launched Operation Dignity, a military campaign against the General National Congress and armed militias and Islamist militant organizations. When the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) was established in Tripoli, part of the Libyan military forces were named the Libyan Army to contrast with the other part that retained the LNA identity. In the Second Libyan Civil War, the LNA was loyal to that part of the Libyan House of Representatives that met in Tobruk, internationally recognised until October 2015. It fights against the Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries, as well as Islamic State in Libya which was a common enemy for both LNA and the Libyan Army.

About half of the LNA consists of militias[2][29] including Madkhali (Salafist) militias[30] and Sudanese, Chadian[2][29] and Russian mercenaries, which together constitute part of the LNA's effective forces.[31] The LNA possesses its own air force. Most of the Libyan Navy is loyal to the GNA.[32][29]

Interventions in the political system by the LNA include the late 2016 replacement of nine elected municipal councils out of a total of 27, replacing elected mayors by mostly military individuals[33][34][35] and, according to witnesses cited by The Independent, the 17 July 2019 abduction of House of Representatives member Seham Sergiwa at her home in Benghazi by the 106th Brigade.[36][37] The LNA stated that it was not responsible for the Sergiwa abduction.[36]

Name

edit

In November 2019, the United Nations Panel of Experts on Libya established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 started using the name Haftar Armed Forces (HAF) to replace the name Libyan National Army to refer to "all armed groups associated with Haftar". It also chose to use lower case regarding "brigades" and "battalions" in order to avoid giving them "the legitimacy of being a formed military unit of a government".[5]: 6 

Allies

edit

Haftar and the LNA is de facto backed by the governments of Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.[38][13][39][40][41] France has also provided tacit backing for Haftars forces. France carried out unprecedented air strikes by its Airforce on Chadian opposition fighters, which are LNA's biggest opponents. This resulted in a public dispute with Italy, which is supporting the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.[13]

Russia is Haftar's most committed ally. In May 2020 the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) stated that Russia had deployed at least 14 MiG planes to the country. The plans were supported by private military contractors of Wagner Group and supporting the LNA.[42][43][44]

Structure

edit

Ranks

edit

Leadership

edit

Khalifa Haftar was made head of the armed forces of Libya on 2 March 2015,[28] remaining as leader of the Libyan National Army after the split between the LNA and the Government of National Accord (GNA). As of December 2017, Major General Abdulrazek al-Nadoori was the chief of staff of the LNA.[45] A lobbying firm was paid US$450,000 to lobby on his behalf for 12 months, starting 1 December 2017, in Washington, D.C.[45] Mahmoud al-Werfalli, known internationally for his International Criminal Court arrest warrant under Article 8(2)(c)(i) of the Rome Statute, was Axes Commander in the al-Saiqa unit of the LNA as of August 2017.[46][47]

Other senior leaders include:

Ground forces

edit

Regular forces

edit

As of May 2019, the LNA had about 7000 regular forces.[29] These include:

106th Brigade

edit

In April 2019, the 106th Brigade, also known as Awlia Aldem (Arabic: أوليء الدم)[37][36] was led by Khaled, son of Khalifa Haftar.[9] As of June 2019, the brigade's commander was Salem Rahil.[48]

On 17 July 2019, according to witnesses cited by The Independent and a family member cited by CNN, 25–30 masked, uniformed 106th Brigade members abducted member of the Libyan House of Representatives Seham Sergiwa in Benghazi.[36][37] The LNA stated that it was not responsible for the abduction.[36] As of 17 October 2019, after multiple calls by UNSMIL for the LNA to investigate the disappearance, Sergiwa remained missing.[49]

73rd Brigade Mechanized infantry

edit

Leader: Saleh al-Quta'ani (Aug 2019)[9]

Tareq ben Ziyad Brigade

edit

Leader: Omar Mraje' (Aug 2019)[9]

9th Brigade

edit

Leader: Kani brothers; origin: Tarhuna (Aug 2019)[9]

128th Battalion

edit

Leader: Hassan al-Zadma; many Mahamid members (Aug 2019)[9]

116th Battalion

edit

Leader: Massoud Jiddu (Aug 2019)[9]

124th Brigade

edit

Leader:[citation needed]

309th Brigade Mechanized infantry

edit

Leader:[citation needed]

1st Brigade

edit

Leader:[citation needed]

166th Brigade Mechanized infantry

edit

Leader:[citation needed]

188th Brigade infantry

edit

Leader:[citation needed]

5th Brigade infantry

edit

Leader:[citation needed]

115th Brigade Mechanized infantry

edit

Leader:[citation needed]

82nd Brigade infantry

edit

Leader:[citation needed]

Special forces

edit

Al-Saiqa is an elite army unit, formed from a mixture of paratroopers and commandos. It numbers a few thousand and reports to the Ministry of Defence. It is popular in Benghazi, particularly in light of its opposition to Islamist Ansar al-Sharia group and because it is seen as a symbol of the reborn Libyan armed forces.[50]

Militias

edit

Madkhali militias in the LNA include the Tawhid Battalion commanded by Izz al-Din al-Tarhuni; the Tariq Ibn Ziyad Brigade, the Subul al-Salam group and the al-Wadi Brigade.[51] LNA groups from Sabratha, Sorman, Tiji and Badr, towns in which Madkhali preachers were active and supported Haftar, are mostly Madkhali Salafists.[9]

During the 2019–20 Western Libya campaign, the LNA was allied with the al-Kaniyat militia in Tarhuna.[52][53][54][55][56]

The number of auxiliary LNA forces (militias and mercenaries) was estimated in May 2019 as 18000 by Jason Pack of the Institute for International Political Studies.[29]

Foreign mercenaries

edit

Foreign mercenaries operating during 2019 Western Libya offensive on behalf of the LNA include Sudanese, Chadians and Russians.[51]

Sudanese from the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (Minnawi) were present in Libya starting in March 2015 and fought on behalf of the LNA in 2016. SLM (Minnawi) planned on leaving Libya in early 2017.[57]: 115  Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (al-Nur) fighters fought on behalf of the LNA, with 1500 personnel in Libya in mid-2016.[57]: 115  Involvement of Sudanese mercenaries continued in 2018.[58]: 9, 79, 80  On 25 July 2019, 1000 members of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces, widely attributed to be responsible for the 3 June 2019 Khartoum massacre,[59] arrived in Libya and were expected to number 4000 in total.[60]

Chadians from the Rally of Democratic Forces (French: Rassemblement des Forces Démocratique) were recruited by the LNA in late 2015,[2] especially in the southern part of Libya.[51]

There were an estimated 200 Russian Wagner Group mercenaries in the LNA in 2019.[55][54][53][52][56]

On 1 January 2022, the 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission announced the deportation of 300 Sudanese mercenaries linked to the LNA from the Eastern Region.[61]

History

edit

2011–2013

edit

The Libyan National Army was founded in 2011 by the National Transitional Council, after forces aligned to it defeated the previous Libyan Army and overthrew Muammar Gaddafi's government. Supply depots and bases having been damaged during the civil war, the new army is faced with the challenge of having to rebuild much of the country's military infrastructure.[62] Yousef Mangoush was named as its first Chief of Staff on 2 January 2012 and the force saw its first major deployment on 23 February, when it was deployed to Kufra to intervene in a tribal conflict.[63]

In November 2011, the National Transitional Council began the difficult process of restructuring the army, with military personnel who defected from the Gaddafi government and former rebel fighters of the National Liberation Army forming the basis of the new Libyan Army. Major General Khalifa Belgacem Haftar was chosen as the overall commander of the new Libyan Army due to his military experience and loyalty to the revolution that overthrew Gaddafi.[64]

The Libyan Army only numbered "a few thousand" trained soldiers in November 2011, and was rapidly trying to train up new fighters who could keep the peace nationwide and deter rogue militias from acting without NTC orders, and was responsible for brokering a ceasefire on at least one occasion in November between warring militas from Zawiya and Al Maya.[65]

On 1 December 2011, it was reported that the National Liberation Army was to integrate up to 50,000 former rebel fighters into the new Libyan national army and police forces, with the aid of French training, with long-term aims to integrate as many as 200,000 fighters from the brigades that had fought against Gaddafi during the civil war.[66]

In December 2011, Italy agreed to provide training to the Libyan Army as it attempted to reorganize in the aftermath of the Civil War.[67][68]

Also in December, large numbers of former rebels were being given jobs in the new army, whilst the government also announced that they would be free to join the special forces and the Navy too. According to Osama al-Juwaili, the defence minister: "The idea is to inject new blood in the army which was marginalised by the tyrant (Gaddafi)"[69]

General Yousef Mangoush said on 5 January 2012 that Libya's new army faces major obstacles such as rebuilding bases destroyed during the conflict, as well as disarming militias that were not part of the new army. National Army commander General Khalifa Haftar said later that it could take between three and five years for Libya to field a capable enough army to protect its borders.[70]

On 7 May 2013, Libya's Defense Minister Mohammed al-Barghathi resigned due to a crisis caused by gunmen who have besieged two ministries for more than a week, a ministry official said. He later withdrew his resignation after Prime Minister Zeidan convinced him to stay.[71]

Under an agreement reached at the Lough Erne G8 summit in June 2013, NATO countries the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, and the United States undertook to help train up to 15,000 personnel from Libyan National Army units over a two-year period. They were to take units from newly formed brigades for 10-week stints of intensive infantry training. The 27th Brigade was due to start at Bassingbourn in eastern England in January 2014.[72] As a result of disorder and sexual assaults by some Libyan army cadets, the UK cancelled the programme in November 2014. The Libyan trainees were sent back to Libya, with the exception of five who were tried for sexual offenses.[73]

2016 overthrow of mayors

edit

In late 2016, Major-General Abdulrazek al-Nadoori of the LNA replaced several of the elected municipal mayors in eastern Libya by unelected people, mostly military.[33][34] Altogether the LNA replaced nine elected councils, out of 27 in its area of control, by military administrators.[35]

Equipment

edit
 
Chinese Wing Loong II UAVs deployed by UAE to the LNA

Whilst it is known to a degree what equipment the Libyan National Army uses, the exact numbers of the below equipment currently in use is not known. What is certain is that a reasonable quantity of their equipment probably came from ransacked stocks of the original Libyan Army and from defectors as well. A significant amount of arms and equipment possessed by the LNA were majorly shipped by the United Arab Emirates and Russia.[74] Having an airbase in Libya (Al-Khadim), the UAE constantly breached the UN arms embargo to transfer arms to the Haftar forces. An Emirati firm, Lancaster-6 was involved in transferring three Super Pumas to the LNA in June 2019. The helicopters were believed to be incapable to operate. The three helicopters remained inside hangars until Haftar's military parade in May 2021 and were expected to take part in his air force.[75]

Technicals

edit

A variety of pickup/utility vehicles, called technicals and gun trucks, often Toyota and other makers, armed with a variety of different weapons, including heavy machine guns, light MLRS' and anti-aircraft guns, most commonly used is the ZU-23-2 and the ZPU.[76][77]

Small arms

edit
Name Image Country of origin Type Caliber Details
AK-47     Soviet Union Assault rifle 7.62×39mm [78]
AKM     Soviet Union Assault rifle 7.62×39mm [78]
AK-103     Russia Assault rifle 7.62×39mm [79]
AR-M1     Bulgaria Assault rifle 5.56×45mm NATO
7.62×39mm
Supplied by the UAE.[80]
Type 56     China Assault rifle 7.62×39mm Type 56-1 rifles supplied by the UAE.[79]
Heckler & Koch G36     Germany Assault rifle 5.56×45mm NATO [78]
MAT-49     France Submachine gun 9×19mm Parabellum [78]
FN P90     Belgium Submachine gun FN 5.7×28mm [78]
SVD     Soviet Union Designated marksman rifle 7.62×54mmR [81]
RPD machine gun     Soviet Union Light machine gun 7.62×39mm [81]
RPK machine gun   Soviet Union Light machine gun 7.62×39mm [81]
PKM     Soviet Union General-purpose machine gun 7.62×54mmR [79]
Type 80     China General-purpose machine gun 7.62×54mmR Supplied by the UAE.[79]
DShK     Soviet Union Heavy machine gun 12.7×108mm [81]
W85     China Heavy machine gun 12.7×108mm Supplied by the UAE.[79]
SPG-9     Soviet Union Recoilless rifle 73mm Supplied by Jordan.[79]
Carl Gustaf     Sweden Recoilless rifle 84mm [82]
M40A1     United States Recoilless rifle 105mm [82]
RPG-7     Soviet Union Rocket-propelled grenade 40mm [78]
Type 69 RPG     China Rocket-propelled grenade 40mm Supplied by the UAE.[79]
RPG-32   Russia
  Jordan
Rocket-propelled grenade 105mm RPG-32 Nashshab supplied by Jordan.[79]
9M14 Malyutka     Soviet Union Anti-tank guided missile 125mm [82]
9K111 Fagot     Soviet Union Anti-tank guided missile 120mm [82]
9M113 Konkurs     Soviet Union Anti-tank guided missile 135mm [82]
9M133 Kornet     Russia Anti-tank guided missile 152mm Supplied by the UAE.[79] Some Iranian-made copies are also used.[83]
MILAN     France
  Germany
Anti-tank guided missile 115mm [82]
FGM-148 Javelin     United States Anti-tank guided missile 127mm Transferred from France.[84]

Main battle tanks

edit
Model Image Origin Variant Details
T-54/T-55[82]     Soviet Union
  Egypt
T-55A
T-55E
Supplied by Egypt.[85]
T-62[82]     Soviet Union
  Russia
T-62M
T-62MV
T-62M and T-62MV supplied by Russia.[79]
T-72[82]     Soviet Union T-72
T-72M1
Some were upgraded by General Dynamics UK prior to the 2011 Libyan revolution.[85]

Armored fighting vehicles

edit
Model Image Origin Type Variant Details
BMP-1     Soviet Union Infantry fighting vehicle [82]
BMP-3     Russia Infantry fighting vehicle 10 delivered in 2013.[86]
Ratel IFV[82]     South Africa Infantry fighting vehicle Ratel 20
Ratel 60
1 Ratel 60 was captured by the GNA at Tarhuna.[87]
BRDM-2[82]     Soviet Union
  Ukraine
Armored car Some were supplied by the UAE.[79]
EE-9 Cascavel     Brazil Armored car [82]
M113     United States Tracked armored personnel carrier [82]
MT-LB     Soviet Union Command vehicle MT-LBu [85]
BTR-60     Soviet Union Wheeled armored personnel carrier BTR-60PB [82]
KADDB Al Mared[82]   Jordan Wheeled armored personnel carrier Supplied by Jordan.[79]
Mbombe 6[82]     South Africa Wheeled armored personnel carrier Supplied by Jordan.[79]
Nimr[82]     United Arab Emirates Wheeled armored personnel carrier Jais N35 4x4
Nimr II
49 donated by Jordan.[88]
Puma[82]     Italy Wheeled armored personnel carrier 6x6 20 donated by Italy.[88]
BAE Caiman[82]     United States MRAP Supplied by the UAE.[79]
INKAS Titan[82]   United Arab Emirates MRAP Titan-S 4x4
Titan-S 6x6
Titan-DS
Supplied by the UAE.[79]
STREIT Group Typhoon[82]     United Arab Emirates MRAP 50 donated by the UAE.[88]
BMC Vuran[82]     Turkey MRAP Captured from GNA forces.
HMMWV     United States Infantry mobility vehicle 200 donated by the US in 2012.[87]
KADDB Al Wahsh[82]     Jordan Infantry mobility vehicle Supplied by Jordan.[79]
STREIT Group Cougar     United Arab Emirates Infantry mobility vehicle Supplied by the UAE.[79]
KrAZ Cobra     United Arab Emirates Infantry mobility vehicle Supplied by the UAE.[79]
STREIT Group Spartan[82]     United Arab Emirates Infantry mobility vehicle 750 donated by the UAE.[88]
Panthera T6[82]     United Arab Emirates Infantry mobility vehicle Supplied by the UAE.[79]
Panthera F9[82]     United Arab Emirates Infantry mobility vehicle Supplied by the UAE.[79]
Igirigi APC   Nigeria Infantry mobility vehicle Mk II Supplied by the UAE.[79]
TAG Terrier LT-79[82]   United States Infantry mobility vehicle Supplied by the UAE.[79]
TAG BATT AP   United States Infantry mobility vehicle Supplied by the UAE.[79]
GAZ Tigr     Russia Infantry mobility vehicle Tigr-M 4 were transferred from the Wagner Group to the LNA.[85]

Artillery

edit
Name Image Country of origin Type Caliber Details
2S1 Gvozdika     Soviet Union Self-propelled gun 122mm [82]
D-30     Soviet Union Towed howitzer 122mm [82]
M-30     Soviet Union Towed howitzer 122mm Supplied by Russia.[79]
G5 howitzer[82]     South Africa Towed howitzer 155mm Supplied by the UAE.[79]
Type 63[82]     China
  Sudan
Towed multiple rocket launcher 107mm Sudanese-made launchers are also used.[79]
LRSVM Morava     Serbia Self-propelled multiple rocket launcher 107mm
122mm
Supplied by the UAE.[79]
BM-21 Grad     Soviet Union Self-propelled multiple rocket launcher 122mm [82]
M1989   North Korea
  United Arab Emirates
Self-propelled multiple rocket launcher 122mm 240mm rocket launcher modified to fire 122mm rockets.[89]
Scud-B     Soviet Union Tactical ballistic missile [85]
M106 mortar carrier     United States Mortar carrier 107mm [82]
Boragh     Iran Mortar carrier 120mm Supplied by Sudan.[79]
Type 31     China Infantry mortar 60mm Supplied by the UAE.[79]
82-BM-37     Soviet Union Infantry mortar 82mm Some were supplied by Russia.[79]
120-PM-43 mortar     Soviet Union Towed mortar 120mm Some were supplied by Russia.[79]

Air defense

edit
Name Image Country of origin Type Caliber Details
S-125     Soviet Union
  Belarus
Short-range surface-to-air missile Supplied by the UAE.[79]
9K31 Strela-1     Soviet Union Short-range surface-to-air missile [85]
2K12 Kub     Soviet Union Medium range surface-to-air missile [82]
Pantsir-S1     Russia Medium range SAM and SPAAG 30mm Supplied by the UAE.[79]
9K338 Igla-S     Russia Man-portable air-defense system 72mm [82]
ZPU-2     Soviet Union Anti-aircraft gun 14.5×114mm Mounted on technicals.[82]
ZU-23-2     Soviet Union
  Poland
Anti-aircraft gun 23x152mmB Mounted on technicals.[82] Some Polish-made guns were supplied by the UAE.[79]
ZSU-23-4     Soviet Union Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun 23x152mmB [82]

Utility vehicles and trucks

edit
Name Image Country of origin Type Model Details
Toyota Land Cruiser     Japan Utility vehicle HZJ-79 Used as technicals.[90]
Jeep J8     United States Light utility vehicle Supplied by Egypt.[79]
Fath Safir     Iran Light utility vehicle Supplied by Sudan.[79]
KAMAZ     Russia Medium truck 6x6 [85]
Iveco Trakker     Italy Heavy truck (10 tonnes) Trakker 380 [87]

UAVs

edit
Name Image Country of origin Type Details
CAIG Wing Loong II     China Attack drone [91]
Mohajer 2     Iran Surveillance drone Supplied by Sudan.[79]

See also

edit

Notes

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Haftar agrees to Libya ceasefire ahead of Berlin talks". Middle East Online. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Delalande, Arnaud (28 May 2018). "Forces on the Libyan ground: Who is Who". ISPI. Archived from the original on 20 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b Eaton, Tim (15 January 2020). "Russia and Turkey failed to mediate peace in Libya. What happens now?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  4. ^ Herbert, Matthew (8 October 2019). "Libya's war becomes a tech battleground". This Is Africa. Archived from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  5. ^ a b Majumdar Roy Choudhury, Lipika; de Alburquerque Bacardit, Luis Antonio; Kadlec, Amanda; Kartas, Moncef; Marjane, Yassine; Wilkinson, Adrian (29 November 2019). "Final report of the Panel of Experts on Libya established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1973 (2011)" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Foreign meddling and west's impotence fuel Libyan chaos". www.ft.com. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  7. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D.; Prickett, Ivor (20 February 2020). "A Police State With an Islamist Twist: Inside Hifter's Libya". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  8. ^ Atalayar (3 August 2020). "Haftar warns that Libya will "never" accept "Turkish colonialism"". Atalayar. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lacher, Wolfram (2019). "Who is fighting whom in Tripoli? How the 2019 civil war is transforming Libya's military landscape" (PDF). Security Assessment in North Africa Briefing Paper. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Forces on the Libyan ground: Who is Who". ISPI. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  11. ^ "حوار سياسي | المسماري لـ«الشرق الأوسط»: وجود عناصر لـ«حزب الله» أو للأسد في ليبيا «أكاذيب إخوانية»". aawsat.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Libya: GNA calls Egypt's military threat 'declaration of war'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  13. ^ a b c d "Khalifa Haftar: The Libyan general with big ambitions". BBC News. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  14. ^ Vohra, Anchal (5 May 2020). "It's Syrian vs. Syrian in Libya". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  15. ^ Pamuk, Humeyra (7 May 2020). "U.S. says Russia is working with Syria's Assad to move militia to Libya". Reuters. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  16. ^ "UAE, Saudi Arabia aiding Libya eastern forces, blacklisting Qatar for alleged support for other Libyans". The Libya Observer. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  17. ^ Eltagouri*, Yousuf (6 May 2019). "Trump's Embrace of Haftar Will Reignite Libya's Proxy War | Beyond the Horizon ISSG". Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Boris Johnson backs Khalifa Haftar's fight against 'terror' in Libya". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Sudan crisis: The ruthless mercenaries who run the country for gold". BBC News. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  20. ^ "Wagner, shadowy Russian military group, 'fighting in Libya'". BBC. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  21. ^ "The Iran-Haftar links in Libya". Warsaw Institute. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  22. ^ "حوار سياسي | المسماري لـ«الشرق الأوسط»: وجود عناصر لـ«حزب الله» أو للأسد في ليبيا «أكاذيب إخوانية»". aawsat.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  23. ^ "France's Macron slams Turkey's 'criminal' role in Libya". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  24. ^ Ash, Nigel (14 March 2017). "Abdulrahman Sewehli thanks Qatari emir for his support". LibyaHerald.
  25. ^ "300 pro-Turkey Syrian rebels sent to Libya to support UN-backed gov't: watchdog - Xinhua | English.news.cn". 29 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Libyan parl't votes to ban Muslim Brotherhood, designates it 'terrorist group'". EgyptToday. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  27. ^ "Hamas dismisses claims it has fighters in Libya". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  28. ^ a b "Libyan parliament confirms Haftar as army chief". Al Jazeera. 2 March 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  29. ^ a b c d e f Pack, Jason (31 May 2019). "Kingdom of Militias: Libya's Second War of Post-Qadhafi Succession". ISPI. Archived from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  30. ^ "Sirte falls to Haftar's forces, thanks to a Madkhali brigade from the inside | The Libya Observer". libyaobserver.ly. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  31. ^ Burke, Jason; Salih, Zeinab Mohammed (24 December 2019). "Mercenaries flock to Libya raising fears of prolonged war". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 December 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  32. ^ Abdullah, Walid; Aytekin, Emre (27 August 2019). "5 migrants die, 65 others rescued off Libyan coast". Anadolu Agency. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  33. ^ a b Talbot, Frank; Denehy, David (13 December 2018). "Is it time for municipal elections in Libya?". Institute for International Political Studies. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  34. ^ a b "Serraj condemns eastern suppression of elected mayors". Libya Herald. 3 October 2016. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  35. ^ a b "Project Document – Libya – Local Elections" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 4 February 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 January 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  36. ^ a b c d e Sengupta, Kim (29 July 2019). "Libyan MP and rights campaigner dragged away by masked gunmen after criticising warlord: 'Don't cross the line of the army'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  37. ^ a b c Lister, Tim; Bashir, Nada (20 July 2019). "She's one of the most prominent female politicians in her country. A few days ago she was abducted from her house". CNN. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  38. ^ "Libya: GNA calls Egypt's military threat 'declaration of war'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  39. ^ Harkov, Lahav (15 January 2022). "Libyan warlord's plane lands in Israel". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  40. ^ Melman, Yossi (15 April 2020). "Israel's little-known support for Haftar's war in Libya". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  41. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Israeli military 'secretly training' Libya's Haftar militias in street warfare". The New Arab. 7 December 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  42. ^ "Russia expands war presence in Libya". DW. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  43. ^ Waxelbaum, Judah (3 August 2020). "Russia moves to secure its investment in Libya". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  44. ^ Barmin, Yury (11 July 2019). "Russia's endgame in Libya". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  45. ^ a b Fornaji, Hadi (12 December 2017). "Nazhuri employs Washington lobbyist". Libya Herald. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  46. ^ "ICC-01/11-01/17: The Prosecutor v. Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli Warrant of Arrest" (PDF). International Criminal Court. 15 August 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  47. ^ The Office of the Prosecutor (9 May 2018). "Fifteenth report of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to the United Nations Security Council pursuant to UNSCR 1970 (2011)" (PDF). International Criminal Court. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  48. ^ "اللواء رحيل: هناك تنسيق بين الإرهابيين في مدينتي طرابلس ودرنة" [MAjor General Rahil: There is coordination between the terrorists in the cities of Tripoli and Derna]. al-Marsad (Arabic: صحيفة المرصد الليبية) (in Arabic). 3 June 2019. Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  49. ^ "Three months after the kidnapping of MP Sergewa, UNSMIL calls for her immediate releases and all victims of enforced disappearance in Libya". UNSMIL. 17 October 2019. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  50. ^ "Guide to key Libyan militias and other armed groups". BBC. 28 November 2013. Archived from the original on 3 July 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  51. ^ a b c el-Gamaty, Guma (7 November 2019). "Militias and mercenaries: Haftar's army in Libya". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on 9 November 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  52. ^ a b "From Tripoli's front lines: How Haftar recovered from the setback in Gharyan and what's next for the advancing LNA".
  53. ^ a b Wehrey, Frederic (5 December 2019). "With the Help of Russian Fighters, Libya's Haftar Could Take Tripoli".
  54. ^ a b "Arrival of Russian mercenaries adds deadlier firepower, modern tactics to Libya's civil war". Washington Post.
  55. ^ a b Kirkpatrick, David D. (5 November 2019). "Russian Snipers, Missiles and Warplanes Try to Tilt Libyan War". The New York Times.
  56. ^ a b Kirkpatrick, David D. (5 November 2019). "Russian Snipers, Missiles and Warplanes Try to Tilt Libyan War - The New York Times". The New York Times.
  57. ^ a b Majumdar Roy Choudhury, Lipika; Abou-Khalil, Naji; Bouhou, Kassim; Kartas, Moncef; McFarland, David; de Alburquerque Bacardit, Luis Antonio (1 June 2017). "Final report of the Panel of Experts on Libya established pursuant to resolution 1973 (2011)" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. S/2017/466. Archived from the original on 20 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  58. ^ Spittaels, Steven; Abou-Khalil, Naji; Bouhou, Kassim; Kartas, Moncef; McFarland, David; Pintos Servia, Juan Alberto (5 September 2018). "Final report of the Panel of Experts on Libya established pursuant to resolution 1973 (2011)" (PDF). United Nations Security Council. S/2018/812. Archived from the original on 20 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  59. ^ Lynch, Justin (5 June 2019). "Remember The Darfur Genocide? With Saudi Help, One of the Killer Commanders There Is Taking Over Sudan". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  60. ^ "1,000 Sudanese militiamen arrive in Libya". Radio Dabanga. 25 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  61. ^ "JMC announces deportation of 300 mercenaries belong to Haftar's forces | The Libya Observer". www.libyaobserver.ly. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  62. ^ "Libya's new military chief to disarm former rebels". USA Today. 4 January 2012. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  63. ^ "New Libya army flexes muscles to halt tribal fight". Reuters. 23 February 2012. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  64. ^ "Libya: New Chief for Revamped National Army". AllAfrica.com. 17 November 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  65. ^ Krauss, Clifford (21 November 2011). "Libyas toughest test may be building an army". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  66. ^ "Libya says to integrate 50,000 anti kadhafi fighters". Morocco World News. 1 December 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  67. ^ "Turkey to Train Libya's Army". Turkishweekly.net. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  68. ^ "Turkey to Train Libya's Army « Shabab Libya". Shabablibya.org. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  69. ^ "Former Libyan rebels offered military jobs". The Daily Telegraph. London. 26 December 2011. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  70. ^ "Libya army chief of staff wants to disarm fighters". Zeenews.india.com. 5 January 2012. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  71. ^ "Libyan defence chief reverses move to quit, gunmen press siege". English.alarabiya.net. 7 May 2013. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  72. ^ "UK trains Libyan army in fight against al-Qaida and warlords". The Observer. Archived from the original on 11 November 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  73. ^ "Libyan troops sent home after sexual assault allegations". The Guardian. 5 November 2014. Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  74. ^ Delalande, Arnaud (13 May 2019). "The rise of Libya's renegade general: How Haftar built his war machine". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  75. ^ "How Haftar resurrected his three Super Pumas". African Intelligence. July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  76. ^ "A rebel fighter celebrates as his comrades fire a rocket barrage toward Gaddafi forces west of Ajdabiyah, Libya, April 14, 2011". Atlantic Council. 14 April 2011. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  77. ^ "Libya: How the opposing sides are armed". BBC News. 23 August 2011. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  78. ^ a b c d e f "Libya - SALW Guide" (PDF). Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC). p. 2. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  79. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (23 March 2021). "Tracking Arms Transfers By The UAE, Russia, Jordan And Egypt To The Libyan National Army Since 2014". Oryx. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  80. ^ Jenzen-Jones, N.R. "Bulgarian AR-M9 and AR-M9F Rifles Supplied by UAE to Allied Forces – Small Arms Defense Journal". Small Arms Defense Journal. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  81. ^ a b c d Jones, Richard D. (5 January 2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010 (35 ed.). Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
  82. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2023). The Military Balance 2023 (1st ed.). Routledge. p. 341. ISBN 978-1032508955.
  83. ^ "Anti-tank missile in Libya looks like Iran-produced weapon - U.N." Reuters. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  84. ^ Lacher, Wolfram (21 August 2019). Who's Fighting Whom in Tripoli: How the 2019 Civil War is Transforming Libya's Military Landscape. Geneva, Switzerland: Small Arms Survey. p. 14. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  85. ^ a b c d e f g Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (27 August 2022). "Photo Report: Haftar's Last Parade". Oryx. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  86. ^ "Russians deliver armoured fighting vehicles". Libya Herald. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  87. ^ a b c Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (15 March 2021). "Disaster at Tarhuna: When Haftar Lost Another Stronghold In Crushing Defeat To The GNA". Oryx. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  88. ^ a b c d "Trade Registers". Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  89. ^ Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (14 December 2021). "The Mystery MRLs That Fuelled Both Sides Of The Libyan Conflict". Oryx. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  90. ^ Spittaels, Steven; Abou-Khalil, Naji; Bouhou, Kassim; Kartas, Moncef; McFarland, David; Servia, Juan Alberto Pintos (12 June 2017). Final report of the Panel of Experts on Libya established pursuant to resolution 1973 (2011) (S/2017/466) (PDF). ReliefWeb. p. 44. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  91. ^ "Libyan National Army Shoots Down Own Chinese-made Wing Loong Drones". www.defenseworld.net. 26 May 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2022.