The First Gulf of Sidra offensive was the second major rebel offensive of the

Libyan Civil War Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...

. It was mounted by

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 organized and armed militia groups, participants in the Libyan Civil ...

immediately after their victory in the

Battle of Ajdabiya The Battle of Ajdabiya was an armed battle in and near the city of Ajdabiya that took place as part of the Libyan Civil War. It was fought between anti-government rebels and military forces loyal to the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Following the ...

. The offensive was meant to have the rebel forces quickly reach Gaddafi's hometown of

Sirte Sirte (; ar, سِرْت, ), also spelled Sirt, Surt, Sert or Syrte, is a city in Libya. It is located south of the Gulf of Sirte, between Tripoli and Benghazi. It is famously known for its battles, ethnic groups, and loyalty to Muammar ...

. The operation was initially a success with the rebels taking almost of coast along the

Libyan Coastal Highway The Libyan Coastal Highway ( ar, الطريق الساحلي الليبي), formerly the Litoranea Balbo, is a highway that is the only major road that runs along the entire east-west length of the Libyan Mediterranean coastline. It is a section ...

in just two days. However, by day three into the rebel advance, loyalist troops stopped their advance and the rebels were forced to retreat back to their starting positions.

The offensive

Rebels capture oil towns and reach western Libya

After loyalist forces lost the battle for Ajdabiya on 26 March, rebels immediately pressed their momentum and took the oil town of Brega without a fight. The next day, 27 March, opposition forces continued their push capturing

Ra's Lanuf Ras Lanuf ( ( ar, راس لانوف , also: ''Ra’s al-Unūf'' )) is a Mediterranean town in northern Libya, on the Gulf of Sidra. The town is also home to the Ra's Lanuf Refinery, completed in 1984, with a crude oil refining capacity of . The oil ...

without a shot fired. By the end of the day, the rebels had entered Bin Jawad, east of Sirte, again unopposed. Overall, pro-Gaddafi forces had retreated for over in just two days stopping at prepared defensive positions around Sirte.

Skirmishes along the road to Sirte

On 28 March, rebel forces advanced further west toward Sirte and took the town of Nofaliya. After securing Nofaliya, they continued westwards to the village of Harawa. There they tried to negotiate with the tribal leaders for the locals to join their uprising. However, the civilians in the village attacked the rebels with automatic weapons and the opposition was forced to withdraw from Harawa. At the same time, the long rebel column, coming from Bin Jawad, was ambushed a number of times on the highway and loyalists managed to flank the rebels and attack them from the rear. This forced the opposition forces to withdraw back to

Nofaliya Nofaliya or Nawfaliya ( ar, النوفلية ''Nawfalīyah'') is a town in the desert in the Sirte District of Libya. It is west of Libya's major oil ports. It is located in the former Bin Jawad District, around 20 km west of Bin Jawad an ...

, from Sirte. Some of them even retreated back to Bin Jawad.

Counter-offensive by pro-Gaddafi forces

On 29 March, pro-Gaddafi forces intensified attacks on Libyan rebels, forcing them to retreat from Nofaliya to Bin Jawad, some further east. Later, intense fighting over Bin Jawad was reported, including artillery duels, before the rebels fled in hundreds of vehicles, abandoning the town, towards Ra's Lanuf. The opposition's military commanders suggested that lack of discipline and stretched supply lines are partly to blame for the retreat. Later during the day, pro-Gaddafi forces advanced to away from

and began shelling the town with artillery and mortars. On 30 March, loyalist forces recaptured the oil refinery town of

forcing rebels to retreat further to the east. The coalition then began launching air-strikes against Gaddafi's forces around Ra's Lanuf and on the road to Uqayla. Reporters on the ground blamed a sandstorm and low visibility from the air for the lack of air-strikes the previous day. Later during the day, rebels were pulling out of Brega to Ajdabiya. In the evening, the

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...

reported that

Brega Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( ar, مرسى البريقة , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra ...

was in control of pro-Gaddafi forces and they were approaching Ajdabiya. A CNN correspondent in Ajdabiya reported that rebels were "massing outside Ajdabiya for a counter-offensive". During the night, the Coalition attempted an air-strike against loyalist forces. However, they hit an ammunition truck that was near some civilian houses which resulted in the deaths of seven civilians and wounding of 25.

Aftermath

On the morning of 31 March, rebels counter-attacked pro-Gaddafi forces in Brega in an attempt to halt their advance which had reversed nearly all of the previous rebel gains. However, this rebel offensive too was stopped by the better trained and equipped loyalist forces and a stalemate soon developed on the road between Brega and Ajdabiya.

References