The Battle of Gharyan was a battle in the 2011 Libyan civil war

2011 Libyan civil war

The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...

 between rebel anti-Gaddafi forces

Anti-Gaddafi forces

The anti-Gaddafi forces were Libyan groups that opposed and militarily defeated the government of Muammar Gaddafi, killing him in the process. These opposition forces included organised and armed militia groups, participants in the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libyan diplomats who switched their...

 and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi

Muammar Gaddafi

Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...

 for control of the Tripolitania

Tripolitania

Tripolitania or Tripolitana is a historic region and former province of Libya.Tripolitania was a separate Italian colony from 1927 to 1934...

n city of Gharyan

Gharyan

Gharyan District or Garian District was one of the districts of Libya. It was located in the northwest part of the country and its capital was Gharyan. Under the 2007 reorganization of districts, it became part of Jabal al Gharbi District....

 located at the Eastern edge of the Nafusa Mountains.

Background

Following large scale protests across the country, what would soon become part of the organized opposition in Libya gained control over most of the Nafusa mountains. Gharyan was soon captured by the rebels however as part of the offensive to retake control of Libya from the rebels, Gaddafi quickly dispatched units to regain control. During the night between the 1 and 2 March, loyalist forces came into the town, under the cover of darkness. On the morning of 2 March, the rebels realised that the town was overrun by government troops. Soldiers had a list of opposition members and started to round up all of the rebels in Gharyan. Gharyan had been retaken by the government.

Following the defeat of Gaddafi forces in Yafran

Yafran

Yafran or Yifren was formerly one of the districts of Libya. It was located in the northwest part of the country and its capital was Yafran...

 and Kikla

Kikla

Kikla is a town of approximately 10,000 inhabitants in Libya, most of whom come from Arab Descend, With some who are from Arabized Berber descend, and is approximately 150 kilometres south-west of the country's capital - Tripoli. It is also a battleground for the 2011 Nafusa Mountains Campaign as...

, rebel forces began to make preparations for the attack of Gharyan. On 6 July, Rebels captured Al-Qawalish and advanced on Asabah. However a Gaddafi counter attack was able to hold them back and temporarily recaptured Al-Qawalish.

The Battle

On 13 August, rebel forces attacked Gharyan. It was reported that the rebels were initially successful as Gaddafi forces retreated, however they later regrouped and attacked. On 14 August, the Rebels stated that they controlled "70 percent" of the city. A fighter in Al-Qawalish

Al-Qawalish

Al-Qawalish is a village in the Nafusa Mountains of Libya, located about 113 km southwest of Tripoli .-Libyan civil war battle:...

 said he heard that loyalists troops were retreating from Gharyan. On 15 August, the rebels claimed they had "full control" of the city. A spokesman for the rebel military council in the Nafusa Mountains asserted, "Gharyan is fully in the hands of the revolutionaries. They crushed the Sahban Brigade, the main command center for Gaddafi in the Western Mountains. They took the brigade's heavy and light weapons."

On 16 August, governmental spokesman Moussa Ibrahim

Moussa Ibrahim

Moussa Ibrahim is a Libyan political figure, serving as Libyan Minister of Information and the official spokesman for Muammar Gaddafi as of March 2011. He came to general international attention during the 2011 Libyan civil war.-Biography:...

 stated that governmental troops would soon retake Gharyan, implicitly supporting the rebel account that Gharyan had been taken. Reuters

Reuters

Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...

 confirmed that Gharyan was in rebel hands, with rebel forces positioned in the city centre with a T-34

T-34

The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...

 tank.

On 17 August, continued fighting in the city was reported.

On 18 August, loyalists fully withdrew from the city, which was confirmed by a Reuters correspondent. The loyalists had retreated north to 'Aziziya.

Aftermath

On 15 August, rebels claimed to have moved south from Gharyan after the battle, and taken the military base of Mizda, gaining access to the Libyan Army's military supplies stored there. Mizda lies near a strategic junction between roads to Gharyan, Bani Walid

Bani Walid

Bani Walid or Ben Walid, prior to 2007, was one of the districts of Libya. In the 2007 administrative reorganization the territory formerly in Bani Walid District was transferred to Misrata District.Bani Walid bordered the following districts:...

, and Sabha.