Siege of Bani Walid (2012)

Siege of Bani Walid
Part of Post-civil war violence in Libya
Date 9 September – 26 October 2012 Location Bani Walid, Libya Status Government victory Government reasserts control over Bani Walid Sporadic attacks in the city in mid-December
Belligerents
Pro-government forces Libyan National Army Libya Shield Misratan militia	Warfalla tribe Brigade 93
Commanders and leaders
Mohammed Magariaf Abdurrahim El-Keib Yousef Mangoush	Salim al Waer
Strength
2,000 Libyan Army 12,000 Libya Shield	600 (Misratan claim)
Casualties and losses
32 killed, 244 wounded	26-31 fighters and civilians killed, 103+ wounded
130 civilians killed (Bani Walid elder claim) 22 civilians killed (state news agency claim)

Government victory

Pro-government forces

Warfalla tribe

The Siege of Bani Walid was a military conflict in Libya.

Bani Walid is an oasis town in western Libya which has a historic rivalry with the city of Misrata. During the civil war in 2011, Bani Walid remained a bastion of support for the government of Muammar Gaddafi until the very end of the war, while Misrata was one of the first towns to rise up, emerging victorious from a months-long siege. After the end of the war, a number of Misratan militias made efforts to capture those people whom they believed were linked to the previous government.

After a string of abuses, local fighters in Bani Walid retook control of their town and expelled the new government from the city. The brigade was then involved in revenge kidnappings with Misrata during the majority of 2012.

In July, while they were holding two Misratan journalists, fighters in Bani Walid captured and tortured Misratan militiaman Omran Shaaban, one of the original captors of Gaddafi at the end of the battle of Sirte. He died later of his wounds. In response, the Libyan Congress authorized the use of force against Bani Walid to capture those responsible for the deaths, setting a deadline of 5 October for the town to peacefully comply. The local government of Bani Walid rejected the decision, stating that no true judiciary system existed in Libya.

Following this event, the armed forces of the new government and allied independent militias mounted a siege on the city.

At the end of September, the Libyan Shield brigade from the Libyan government and Misrata militias cut the roads leading to Bani Walid, preventing civilian supplies from entering the city. Amnesty International protested against the siege of the city.

On 2 October, clashes erupted between the pro-government militias from Misrata and local militiamen in Bani Walid. One person was killed and 5-10 were wounded.

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Wikipedia