Brak al-Shati Air Base Attack (2017)
The Brak al-Shati Air Base attack occurred on May 18, 2017, during the Second Libyan Civil War, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between rival factions in Libya. Forces reportedly loyal to the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) launched an assault on the air base, which was under the control of the Libyan National Army (LNA), killing approximately 140 soldiers and civilians. This attack followed a period of political turmoil and violence that began with the fall of dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011 and led to the establishment of competing governments in Tripoli and Tobruk.
The GNA denied direct involvement in the attack, asserting that it had not authorized the operation, and subsequently suspended its defense minister pending an investigation. In the aftermath, efforts for peace were renewed, culminating in a cease-fire agreement facilitated by French President Emmanuel Macron, aimed at paving the way for elections in 2018. The broader context of the conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and significant displacement of civilians throughout Libya, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.
Subject Terms
Brak al-Shati Air Base Attack (2017)
Date: May 18, 2017
Place: Brak al-Shati air base, Libya
Summary
The Brak al-Shati air base attack of 2017 was a conflict in the ongoing Second Libyan Civil War in which forces reportedly loyal to the UN–backed Government of National Accord (GNA) attacked a base controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA), killing approximately 140 soldiers and civilians.
Key Events
- February 2011—Popular protests against the Muammar al-Qaddafi regime begin in Benghazi.
- October 20, 2011—Al-Qaddafi is killed by rebel fighters, marking the end of the First Libyan Civil War.
- June 2014—Libya holds elections to form a new government and Islamist militias take over the city of Tripoli, refusing to honor the results of the election and beginning the Second Libyan Civil War between supporters of the rival governments based in Tripoli and Tobruk.
- December 2015—The Libyan Political Agreement between the General National Congress (GNC) based in Tripoli and the internationally recognized House of Representatives (based in Tobruk) results in the formation of the GNA transitional government.
- August 2016—The Tobruk government and the LNA refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the GNA, leading to the continuation of the civil war.
- May 18, 2017—Forces allegedly loyal to the GNA attack Brak al-Shati air base, killing at least 140 soldiers and civilians.
- July 2017—With the help of French mediation, a new cease-fire agreement is signed by leaders of the GNA and the Tobruk government, paving the way for planned elections in 2018.
Status
The GNA condemned and denied direct involvement in the May 18 air base raid, indicating that the attack had not been approved by the organization’s governmental wing. Several media sources reported that the GNA’s defense minister had been suspended until the matter could be investigated further. In July, President Emmanuel Macron of France led a conference between Fayez al-Sarraj, head of the GNA, and LNA leader General Khalifa Haftar that resulted in a new cease-fire agreement intended to allow both sides to prepare for new general elections as early as the spring of 2018. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the Second Libyan Civil War had resulted in thousands of deaths and more than 434,869 internally displaced persons in the nation as of September 2017.
In-Depth Overview
In 2011, inspired by a wave of uprisings that occurred in the Middle East and North Africa known as the Arab Spring, the decades-long reign of Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi was brought to an end. During the First Libyan Civil War, the United States and other Western nations recognized and supported the transitional government formed by rebel groups known as the National Transitional Council. The war ended with al-Qaddafi’s execution in October 2011.
With the country left in the midst of a power vacuum, the first national elections in more than forty years were held in July 2012, with the Libyan people electing a General National Congress (GNC) to form a new government and draft a constitution. However, this goal was never reached. In national elections held in June 2014, with low voter turnout, there was a political shift away from traditionalist Islamic leadership toward social democratic candidates. A coalition of Islamist factions refused to honor the results of the election, which had allocated a House of Representatives governing power, and captured the city of Tripoli, initiating the Second Libyan Civil War. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives relocated to Tobruk and formed a rival government. The military branch in support of the Tobruk faction, known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), was led by General Khalifa Haftar, a former exile who spent years in the United States before returning in 2011 to take part in the uprisings. At the same time, separatist groups and independent radical groups, including the terrorist organization known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), took advantage of the governmental chaos to take control of key cities and territories.
In late 2015, the United Nations hosted peace talks between representatives of the Tripoli government, the GNC, and the Tobruk government, the House of Representatives. This meeting resulted in a power-sharing agreement that formed a new, internationally recognized transitional government known as the Government of National Accord (GNA), led by interim prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj. However, in August 2016, the Tobruk government voted against recognizing the authority of the GNA. Since then, fighting between the LNA and allies of the GNA has intensified, with both groups also fighting ISIS and other separatist militias spread throughout their territories.
On March 18, 2017, a group of soldiers allegedly allied with the GNA attacked Brak al-Shati air base, which had been controlled by the LNA for some time. According to an LNA spokesman, the soldiers stationed at the base had just returned from a military parade at the time of the attack, and most were unarmed. Civilians who worked at the base were also reportedly casualties of the attack, and the spokesperson claimed that many soldiers were essentially executed when the base was captured. Reports on the number of casualties were unclear, with numbers ranging from 130 to 140. In subsequent days, there were some local reports of retaliatory strikes from Haftar’s forces.
Key Figures
Khalifa Haftar: Military leader of the LNA.
Muammar al-Qaddafi: Former leader of Libya until his death in October 2011 during the First Libyan Civil War.
Fayez al-Sarraj: Prime minister of the GNA.
Bibliography
Attack on Libyan airbase by troops loyal to UN-backed faction kills 141. (2017, May 19). The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/19/attack-on-libyan-airbase-by-troops-loyal-to-un-backed-faction-kills-141
Bendix, A. (2017, July 25). Libyan rivals agree to ceasefire and elections. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/07/libyan-rivals-agree-to-a-ceasefire-and-elections/534897/
Civil war in Libya. (2017, September 19). Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved from https://www.cfr.org/global/global-conflict-tracker/p32137#!/conflict/civil-war-in-libya
Libya: 141 people killed in Brak al-Shat airbase attack. (2017, May 20). Al Jazeera. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/05/libya-141-people-killed-brak-al-shat-airbase-attack-170520082052419.html
Libya’s UN-backed government gets “no confidence” vote. (2016, August 22). Al Jazeera. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/libya-backed-government-confidence-vote-160822150247789.html
Stephen, C., & Penketh, A. (2014, August 24). Libyan capital under Islamist control after Tripoli airport seized. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/24/libya-capital-under-islamist-control-tripoli-airport-seized-operation-dawn