Battle of Ajdabiya

Background

Ajdabiya was the site of anti-government protests on February 16-17, in which up to 10 people were reportedly killed by government security forces ^[20] . Protesters quickly took control of the city and stated that it would be the “Free City” after they burned down the local government headquarters ^[21] .

Stage One

On March 14, army units of the loyalists, which successfully attacked rebel positions in the east of the country for several days, bombarded the city of Ajdabiya. According to representatives of the rebels, four artillery shells fell on Monday morning in the western vicinity of Ajdabiya. No one was hurt ^[22] .

On March 15, government troops advancing from Bregui (which they had captured earlier) bombarded Ajdabiya. The city was also struck by air and sea. The city was previously hit by air strikes over the previous three days. The rebels said March 13 that they would defend the city to death. However, as soon as the onset of the loyalists began, all rebel forces that were not local (from Ajdabiya) began a retreat, some along with the civilian population, to Benghazi. After artillery strikes, the loyalists launched an offensive. The rebels awaited Gaddafi's supporters from the west, and entrenched themselves in the western outskirts. However, part of the government forces circumvented the position of the rebels and attacked the city from the south. Loyalists quickly captured the western positions of the rebels and established control over the western entrance to the city. In addition, government soldiers occupied the eastern exit of the city, preventing the rebels from retreating towards Benghazi. The city was surrounded and the transition of Ajdabiya into the hands of the government, opened the way for them to Benghazi. After the encirclement was completed, government tanks entered Ajdabiya, rushing into the city center. They were faced with the remnants of rebel forces, street battles ensued. While fighting went on in the streets, two rebel fighters taking off from Benghazi attacked government ships that fired at the city from the sea. According to independent news sources, only one ship was hit, and the rebels claimed that they struck three warships, two of which sank ^[23] . A few hours later, most of the city was under government control, however, in order to avoid a surprise attack by the rebels at night, the tanks retreated to the outskirts of the city. The rebels decided that they won. However, shortly before midnight, a new artillery attack was launched on Loyalist forces around Ajdabiya ^{[6] [24] [25]} . On the same day, Libyan television reported that units of the Libyan army occupied the city of Ajdabiya ^[26] .

On March 16, fighting continued, but neither side could establish full control of the city ^[27] . Government troops returning from the front said in an interview that the rebel resistance was fierce. During the day, rebel reinforcements arriving from Benghazi entrenched themselves several kilometers from the eastern entrance to the city before being attacked by loyal troops. They made a small corridor to connect Ajdabiya with Benghazi, but Gaddafi’s troops still remained on the eastern outskirts of the city. In addition, the rebels managed to recapture the southern entrance to the city, while the western entrance was still under government control ^[28] . Three rebel helicopters attacked Gaddafi’s forces on a highway on the western outskirts, where they prepared for an offensive in the city by regrouping forces and receiving large quantities of weapons, ammunition and reinforcements coming from Sirte ^{[14] [29]} . Libyan television also reported that Ajdabiya is completely cleared of rebels ^{[30] [31]} .

Immediately after midnight on March 17, government forces attacked the southern entrance to the city. After three hours of battle, they withdrew. To repel the attack, tanks, artillery and a helicopter were involved ^[32] . Later that morning, the loyalists beat off the corridor on the east side of the city. The city was again surrounded. While fighting continued in Ajdabiya, government troops landed from the sea, using assault forces, in the small town of Zuvetin's oil port, north of the road between Ajdabia and Benghazi. The city quickly passed into the hands of loyal forces ^[33] . Nonetheless, rebel leaders said they delivered a number of sensitive blows to the loyalists ^[34] . The next day, the rebels said they had lost some of their fighters, and a number of civilians were killed, and 20 government soldiers were captured in battles for the port ^[35] .

Second Stage

With the establishment of a no-fly zone on March 19, air strikes began against Qaddafi’s supply forces and fuel convoys, while rebels launched an offensive from Benghazi on March 20 to try to reach Ajdabiya ^[36] . On the way, they recaptured the city of Zuvetin ^[37] . On March 21, the advancing rebel forces from Benghazi tried to attack Ajdabiya, trying to alleviate the position of the rebels in the city and expel the loyal troops. However, their attack was repelled by government forces, supported by fire from tanks and multiple launch rocket launchers. The rebels retreated and entrenched 19 kilometers from the city center ^{[38] [39]} . That evening, American planes fired at some Loyalist positions in Ajdabiya, who reportedly fired at the city ^[5] .

The next morning, the rebels, along with a reporter who was with them, recorded pillars of smoke above the city rising from the objects of the loyalists who suffered from American air strikes the previous night ^[40] . Postants claimed that at least three tanks of loyalists were destroyed on the eastern outskirts of the city by air strikes of coalition countries ^[41] . Al-Jazeera reporters removed the wreckage of one tank at a checkpoint that was set up by the rebels as part of the front ^[40] . Rain correspondent Orhan Jemal, who was in eastern Libya at that time, reported fierce battles near Ajdabiya. However, in addition to small arms, the rebels did not have other weapons while Gaddafi's troops still had heavy weapons ^{[42] [43]} .

On March 23, coalition forces launched air attacks on Gaddafi forces on the eastern outskirts ^[44] . People fleeing the city stated that only rebels remained in the center of the city, and the suburbs were under the control of government forces ^[45] . Independent reporters spent two days in Ajdabiya at the invitation of the government, but did not see evidence of the large-scale destruction that the rebels spoke of ^[46] .

On March 24, Gaddafi's forces still held the main eastern and western entrances of the city and most of the city, with the exception of the city center, and also drove offensive rebel forces from the outskirts of the city with mortar and artillery fire ^{[47] [48]} . Later, on March 24, some rebel forces managed to get into Ajdabiya, and the situation in the city became increasingly uncertain, many parts of the city passed from hand to hand ^[48] . At night, British fighters launched air attacks on Gaddafi’s armored forces ^[4] .

As of March 25, the western and central parts of the city were controlled by loyalists, while the eastern part was controlled by rebels ^[49] . Early in the morning, the PNS broadcast a message to Gaddafi’s forces in the city through local tribal leaders. He urged Gaddafi's supporters to lay down their arms and surrender. However, government troops refused the offer of surrender and the rebels began to focus on the outskirts of the city, preparing for the offensive. In the afternoon, the four multiple-launch rocket launchers of the rebels, who arrived on the front line, began firing at the positions of the loyalists. Government artillery responded to shelling. ^[50] The night before, the rebel offensive in the city’s districts controlled by Gaddafi’s forces was canceled after the vanguard of the rebel forces was attacked by tank units of the loyalists on the outskirts of the city, the battle did not lead to victory for either side ^[51] .

During the night, several rebel groups entered the city through the corridor established the previous night ^[52] , and British planes destroyed seven loyalist tanks in and around the city ^[53] . By this time, the city was divided between the loyalists in the western part of the city and the rebels in the eastern.

On March 26, rebels in Ajdabiya reported that they had established control of the city, Al-Jazeera reporters confirmed at the scene ^[54] . Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said government forces left Ajdabiya at night due to coalition air strikes. He blamed Western forces directly for aiding the rebels ^[55] . The rebels then headed to Bregu and were able to capture the city ^{[56] [57]} .

Al-Jazeera also reported that Libyan army general Bilgasim al-Ganga was captured by the rebels on the night of March 25 ^[56] .

Consequences

On March 30, international coalition aircraft attacked a column of Libyan government troops advancing in the direction of the city of Ajdabiya. The rebels, who were in a hurry to hide from the enemy in Ajdabiya, having seen the consequences of the airstrike, began to celebrate and shoot in the air. Earlier during the day on March 30, they retreated in a panic, abandoning the cities of Ras Lanuf and Brega, which came under their control a few days earlier ^[58] .

On April 9, an attack by Gaddafi’s troops on Ajdabiya was reported. However, the rebels later reported that they were able to repel the loyalist attack on the city ^[59] .

On April 16, weather conditions were also seriously deteriorated (wind up to 9 points, sandstorm), as a result of which NATO aviation could not carry out military operations in eastern Libya for several days. The city, the majority of whose population had already been evacuated, began to panic, but the troops loyal to Gaddafi made no further attempts to recapture Ajdabiya ^[60] .