Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident date

July 22, 2022

Incident Code

LC431

LOCATION

مشروع الموز, Mashrou’ Al Muz, Tarabulus, Libya

Local sources reported that a woman and her two children were killed and the father was injured in shelling during clashes in Mashrou’ Al Muz in Tripoli on July 22, 2022. One source asserted that this news was not true. @tkyroogklshytk tweeted that a family near Mashrou’ Al Muz was killed due to shelling of

Summary

First published
July 22, 2022
Last updated
October 20, 2022
Strike status
Contested strike
Strike type
Artillery
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
0 – 3
(0–2 children0–1 women)
Civilians reported injured
0–1
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Named victims
4 named, 1 familiy identified
Geolocation
Neighbourhood/area
View Incident

Incident date

May 14, 2022

Incident Code

LC428

LOCATION

جنزور, Jamila Triangle, Janzour, Tarabulus, Libya

Clashes at dawn on May 14th 2022 in the Jamila Triangle in the Janzour area, reported to be in the vicinity of the West Tripoli Electricity Station were reported to have caused civilian casualties, but reports differ in the number. However, according to another local source, the Municipal Council of Janzour did not mention any

Summary

First published
May 15, 2022
Last updated
October 25, 2022
Strike status
Contested strike
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
0 – 5
Civilians reported injured
2–5
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Contested
Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
Suspected belligerent
Libyan rebel forces
Named victims
1 named, 1 familiy identified
Geolocation
Neighbourhood/area
View Incident

Published

March 19, 2021

Written by

Joe Dyke

Assisted by

Imogen Piper

published in partnership with

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Exclusive: On the 10th anniversary of Nato’s Libya campaign, Norway’s former foreign minister reveals behind-the-scenes negotiations which sought to end the war

Two months had passed since Libyans first took to the streets. Hundreds were dead as government forces and Nato-backed rebels fought a brutal conflict, but in a hotel room 2,000 miles away the warring sides agreed a secret deal to end the war.

The confidential Norwegian-brokered talks – full details of which are being revealed exclusively by The Independent on the tenth anniversary of the Nato bombing campaign – were the closest the world came to a peaceful end to Libya’s 2011 civil war.

The two sides agreed to a draft text stating that Muammar Gaddafi, who had ruled Libya for 42 years, would step down and leave politics, but keep the institutions of state in place.

In the end the talks fell apart and rebels, with Nato’s support, ultimately captured and killed Gaddafi. More than 1,000 civilians were killed during the war, according to new research by the civilian casualty monitor Airwars.

In the decade since Libya has been embroiled in perpetual conflict, with the country eventually becoming the second largest base for Isis. This week an interim unity government was sworn in, the latest political attempt to stem violence in the country.

In his first interview with international media regarding the 2011 negotiations, the then Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Store, who brokered the deal, accused France and Britain of opposing a negotiated solution.

The Independent front page on March 19, 2021 featuring an Airwars investigation

 

Read the full story at The Independent.

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Published

March 18, 2021

Written by

Oliver Imhof

Assisted by

Anna Zahn, Ayana Enomoto-Hurst, Clive Vella, Duncan Salkovskis, Imogen Piper, Mai Fareed, Mohamed ben Halim, Mohammed al Jumaily, Osama Mansour, Peixian Wang and Shihab Halep

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NATO members still refuse to discuss potential civilian harm from their strikes a decade after intervening against Gaddafi.

Ten years ago, French President Nicholas Sarkozy welcomed British Prime Minister David Cameron and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Elysee Palace with a shock announcement. “He surprised us both when he said that he had already issued orders for French jets to take off,” Cameron later recalled. The first airstrikes of the international intervention against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s forces hit their targets less than an hour later.

The 2011 Libyan civil war had begun on February 17th as an Arab Spring uprising, with tens of thousands taking to the streets. Within weeks Gaddafi’s forces had brutally crushed most of the protests, and were closing in on the last major rebel stronghold of Benghazi. With fears of a Srebrenica-style massacre, the United Nations passed a resolution demanding the protection of civilians, upon which the NATO intervention was then justified. The war officially ended in October as Gaddafi, whose forces had been routed, was captured and killed by NATO-backed rebels.

Neither during nor after the war has there been a thorough analysis of the number of civilians likely killed by all sides. For the tenth anniversary of the conflict, Airwars has conducted the first comprehensive overview of civilian harm from all belligerents, based on the available public materials.

Over six months Airwars reviewed thousands of media and social media posts, and post-conflict investigations; as well as conducting interviews with survivors and officials.

The result is a detailed look at a brief but violent conflict that killed at least 1,142 civilians and injured at least one thousand more in 212 incidents of concern that Airwars researched. By the highest estimate, as many as 3,400 civilians were killed in those events.

The new archive offers a detailed insight into gruesome air and artillery strikes, as well as shocking ground massacres that occurred during the civil war. The tally of civilian deaths during the uprising was almost certainly significantly higher than the Airwars study indicates. In 2011 for example, social media use by Libyans was still relatively limited, and independent media in the country was not yet established. Based on Airwars’ experience of other conflicts such as Syria, a significant number of local claims of civilian harm made online at the time may also since have been lost, as a result of sites being closed or accounts being shut down.

Many small scale ground actions are additionally not reflected at present in the Airwars database – though likely constituted a key element of the civilian toll. Most estimates of Libya 2011 casualties to date have included both fighters and civilians – with a Libyan government study from 2013 likely being the most accurate, with its estimate of 4,700 fighter and civilian deaths on the rebel side alone, as well as at least 2,100 people listed at the time as missing.

Armed men at the edge of Fashlum Al-Dhahra neighbourhood in Tripoli on February 20th 2011, where up to 700 civilians were alleged killed by Gaddafi forces while taking part in mass demonstrations, Image via Taha Krewi

Most deaths from Gaddafi forces

The tragedy of Libya’s 2011 war was not just of those who were killed, injured and displaced – but of the new world it ushered in. Following a couple of years of uneasy calm, by 2014 the country had split in two and reverted to civil war. Only in October 2020 was a United Nations-brokered deal seemingly able to bring a decade of violence to an end, though the rifts remain.

Hala Bugaighis, a Libyan lawyer and founder of the Jusoor Libya think tank, said the 2011 war has had two long-lasting effects that have deeply impacted Libyan society.

“The first is the impact on the social fabric that emerged from armed conflicts between cities,” she told Airwars. During the war some neighbouring towns found themselves on either side of the conflict, with one broadly loyal to Gaddafi’s forces and the other supporting the rebellion.

“The second is the long term effect of the conflict on the mental wellbeing of civilians, including PTSD, stress and depression,” Bugaighis added.

The majority of civilian harm identified in the events reviewed by Airwars was reportedly caused by forces of the Gaddafi regime – with between 869 and 1,999 likely deaths and as many as 1,100 injuries identified from 105 assessed actions. Overall, as many as 2,300 civilian deaths were locally alleged from these same Gaddafi actions. Many more small-scale killings have yet to be fully documented.

At the beginning of the uprising, Gaddafi forces were reported to have deliberately targeted protesters with both heavy weaponry and small arms fire, causing high numbers of casualties.

Later on, several massacres and indiscriminate shelling of urban areas by the regime were documented in both local and international media.

“In the first days of the uprising, I was so scared,” said Bugaighis, who lived in Tripoli at the time. “Growing up in Libya we were raised to fear the regime, so at first, I thought nothing would take down the regime. I started to realise that it is more serious when the state of emergency was declared in Tripoli and foreigners were evacuated.”

Many Gaddafi forces incidents had previously gone unreported to an international audience, given the tendency of international media to focus only on larger scale events. On June 29th for example, a review of local sources found that a 13-year old boy named Moftah Muhammad Jalwal was killed and six more civilians injured by Gaddafi forces shelling on the Doufan neighbourhood of Misurata. Gruesome videos showed bloodstains at the site and injured children in the local hospital.

Moftah Muhammad Jalwal, reportedly killed by Gaddafi forces on June 29th 2011 in Misurata (Screengrab via a video by Ali Al Dadi)

NATO: lower civilian harm but lack of accountability

A decade on from NATO’s intervention, neither it nor any individual member has ever publicly admitted to a single civilian death. Libyans themselves tell a very different story.

Airwars reviewed claims of thousands of airstrikes reportedly conducted by NATO and its allies during Libya 2011, which between them resulted in 223 to 403 likely civilian deaths and 215 to 357 injuries in 84 events of concern, according to our assessment. NATO itself declared having conducted 7,600 strikes. Overall, Airwars identified as many as 800 civilians locally alleged killed by NATO forces – though those higher claims appear to have been significantly exaggerated by pro-Gaddafi sources at the time.

United Nations investigators after the war accused both Gaddafi and rebel forces of indiscriminate killings, but concluded that NATO had conducted a “highly precise campaign with a demonstrable determination to avoid civilian casualties.” They noted that the international alliance had used precision-guided munitions and carried out extensive pre-strike assessments to try and avoid killing civilians.

Frederic Wehrey, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, said NATO planners were supported by Western special forces marking targets on the ground, which had contributed to the accuracy of bombing and helped avoid civilian harm.

Both rebels and NATO were “very active in liaison, coordinating various operation centres even though NATO commandos made clear they were not acting as the rebels’ air force,” he says.

But while NATO itself insisted it was purely focused on protecting civilians, key members of the alliance were accused of supporting regime change. An Airwars investigation has found that a Norwegian effort to negotiate Gaddafi’s stepping down in April 2011 was seemingly undermined by France and the UK. As the former Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Store now notes, “Had there been in the international community a willingness to pursue this track with some authority and dedication, I believe there could have been an opening to achieve a less dramatic outcome and avoid the collapse of the Libyan state.”

Even though the number of reported civilian casualties from NATO actions is far lower when compared to Gaddafi forces, Airwars’ findings indicate that likely fatalities were still significantly higher than the estimated 60 deaths that the United Nations documented at the time, in its review of 20 events of concern.

By contrast and based on local reporting from the time across Libya, as well as major investigations by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the New York Times, Airwars has identified at least 223 likely civilian deaths.

Reported victims of NATO airstrikes on Majer on August 8th 2011 (via Majer Zletin Massacre)

Those seeking clarity about individual incidents remain sadly disappointed. Inquiries to NATO about civilian harm from its actions in Libya are routinely referred to member states, which in turn then refer back to NATO. All recent Freedom of Information requests from Airwars to individual member states about their potential role in civilian harm during 2011 have been denied.

Only on one known occasion, on June 19th 2011, did NATO acknowledge that a malfunction of a munition in an attack on Tripoli’s Souk al Joumaa neighbourhood had potentially resulted in civilian casualties.

Mohammed Al Gharari, who lost five family members in the strike, told Airwars he had the following questions for NATO: “You struck people and admitted that it was by mistake. Why did you never care about us? If you had any humanity and you believe in human rights, you would have at least cared.”

“Even after ten years, no phone call or even any official has contacted us.”

Aftermath of the incident in Souq Al Joumaa on June 19th, 2011

Little reporting on civilian harm from rebels

Among the three parties to Libya’s 2011 war, the lowest documented number of civilian casualties was reported from rebel actions – with 57 incidents of concern reviewed by Airwars containing allegations of between 50 and 113 likely deaths.

That relatively low estimate of civilian harm from rebel actions can be explained by the lack of an air force and access to heavy weapons, particularly early on. It may also reflect a lack of media interest at the time.

The largest known loss of civilian life from rebel actions was reported on August 10th in the remote southern city of Tawergha, when between 24 and 74 inhabitants, including whole families and an imam of the town, were claimed killed by artillery fire. Tawergha was considered loyal to Gaddafi, with its more than 40,000 residents forced to flee by rebels. The majority of residents have still not been able to return a decade on.

“130 men from Tawergha are missing ever since, and no one knows anything about them. They were taken by the rebels. My brother is one of them,” Gabriel Farag, who also had to flee Tawergha, told Airwars. “These 130 men were arrested just for the mere fact that they are from Tawergha.”

“The war has impacted Libyan society in many ways, especially in social relationships among tribes. Libyan society is a tribal society, and the war has broken the connections between tribes across the country,” says Mustafa Al Fetouri, a Libyan journalist who covered the civil war back in 2011.

Mabrouk Elyan, reportedly among those killed by rebel forces on August 10th 2011 in Tawergha, via Tawergha Martyrs

Ten years of anarchy

What followed after the 2011 defeat of Gaddafi was a decade of chaos and on-and-off civil war that turned Libya into a failed state. Many hopes were betrayed and opportunities missed in a country that had once been described as Africa’s most developed.

“The notion of justice was completely absent after the revolution,” says Bughaigis. “Instead of avoiding a repetition of the injustice that occurred in the past, such as the Abu Salim prison incident or the killing of students, all we saw was the repetition of these mistakes over and over again.”

Airwars found that some victims had been paid compensation by one of Libya’s post-revolution governments, but only for damage done to property. Efforts to create proper mechanisms for restitution were abandoned when the country slipped into civil war again in 2014.

“Justice was one of the principles of the Libyan uprising. However, all those in power have failed to do so, and it may be in a systematic way to entrench chaos and hate,” explained Bughaigis.

Former US President Barack Obama once described the failure to plan for what came after NATO’s intervention in Libya as a “shit show”, and as his biggest foreign policy mistake. “We averted large-scale civilian casualties, we prevented what almost surely would have been a prolonged and bloody civil conflict. And despite all that, Libya is a mess,” he told The Atlantic in 2016.

However, better times could now be ahead for Libyans, with the country recently selecting a unified transitional government which has committed to working on a reconciliation process for those affected by the civil wars. Those in the international community who have become embroiled in Libya’s violence since 2011 could now too – it might be hoped – finally acknowledge the civilian harm they themselves have caused.

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Incident date

December 16, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-218

LOCATION

طرابلس‎, Tripoli, Tarabulus, Libya

One civilian was killed and three others were injured in Tripoli on December 16, 2011 when their car was ambushed and attacked by nine people armed with Kalashnikov rifles. According to the UN Report Source Page 82, a survivor of the attack said that he was in a car with four friends when their car

Summary

First published
December 16, 2020
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
Civilians reported injured
3
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

December 14, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-217

LOCATION

طرابلس‎, Tripoli, Tarabulus, Libya

One man was killed in Tripoli by rebel forces after the rebels tried to confiscate his car and he refused. According to UN Report Source Page 82, the rebels had approached a member of the Tripoli brigade to try to confiscate their car, claiming it was government property, but left after negotiations without the car.

Summary

First published
December 14, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

November 16, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-216

LOCATION

تاورغاء, Tawergha, Misrata, Libya

One man died after being severely beaten while being held in custody by the Independence Brigade rebels in Tawrga’a on November 16, 2011 according to UN Report Source Page 82. According to another man that was detained with him and was released, the man was beaten until he lost consciousness for nearly two days. He

Summary

First published
November 16, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

November 15, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-206

LOCATION

تاجوراء, Tajoura, Tarabulus, Libya

At least one man died from injuries sustained during his detention in a rebel-controlled facility in mid-November 2011 in Tajoura according to the UN Report Source Page 82. A reported member of Gaddafi’s security agency was arrested at his father’s house on October 17, 2011 by rebels who did not have an arrest warrant and

Summary

First published
November 15, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

November 13, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-215

LOCATION

سرت‎, Sirte, Surt, Libya

Between three and five men were killed in Sirte on November 13, 2011 when they were executed by rebels. A video posted by Echorouk Online on YouTube shows the bodied of at least three dead men and many others with weapons surrounding them.

Summary

First published
November 13, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
3 – 5
(3–5 men)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

November 2, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-213

LOCATION

مصراتة, Misurata, Misrata, Libya

One man died after being severely beaten while being held in custody by the Independence Brigade rebels in Tawrga’a on November 2, 2011 according to UN Report Source Page 82. A former Qadhafi soldier died on November 2, 2011 after being transferred to a hospital in Misrata. An initial autopsy report obtained by the victim’s

Summary

First published
November 2, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

October 25, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-209

LOCATION

طرابلس‎, Tripoli, Tarabulus, Libya

Two men died on October 25, 2011 after being detained in rebel custody in Tripoli on October 25, 2011 according to the UN Report Source Page 81. One man, a member of Gaddafi’s security forces, was arrested by the rebels on September 11, 2011 and held in the former Internal Security Agency building in central

Summary

First published
October 25, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
2
(2 men)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

October 17, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-207

LOCATION

بني وليد, Bani Walid, Misrata, Libya

A young man from Bani Walid was killed by Al-Zawiyah rebels on October 17, 2011 according to UN Report Source page 78. He was arrested by the Al-Zawiyah in front of his relatives and they were assured he would be released soon but shortly after, they heard gunshots and he was found in a hospital

Summary

First published
October 17, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

October 9, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-203

LOCATION

الزاوية‎, Zawiya, Al Zawiyah, Libya

At least two men died from injuries they sustained after being detained by rebel forces at Judayem detention centre and later died in Al Zawiyah Hospital on October 9, 2011 according to UN Report Source Page 81. Both men were arrested on September 17, 2011 in Al Zawiyah by rebel forces and taken to Judaism

Summary

First published
October 9, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
2
(2 men)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

October 6, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-202

LOCATION

سرت‎, Sirte, Surt, Libya

At least 17 people were killed, including one man who was a soldier in Qadhafi’s forces, in Sirte by rebel forces around October 6, 2011 according to the UN Report Source Page 78. A Tawerghan living in an IDP camp was a relative of the soldier killed and was told about his relative’s death by

Summary

First published
October 6, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
17
(1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

October 5, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-200

LOCATION

سرت‎, Sirte, Surt, Libya

On October 5th, 2011, four children were injured in Sirte due to shrapnel from Grad rockets, suspected to have been fired by Libyan rebel forces. No additional information on the children were provided. An al-Jamahiriya posted stated that “4 children were injured by shrapnel at the Sirte Gulf conference as a result of the Grad

Summary

First published
October 5, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Artillery
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Civilians reported injured
4
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Suspected belligerent
Libyan rebel forces
Suspected target
Gaddafi forces
View Incident

Incident date

October 5, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-199

LOCATION

سرت‎, Sirte, Surt, Libya

On October 5th, 2011, a single Moroccan woman was reported to have been injured by a mortar shell in Sirte. The mortar was suspected to have been fired by Libyan rebel forces. Multiple sources reported on the injury of the woman, although no additional information was provided. An al-Jamahiriya post stated that “A Moroccan woman

Summary

First published
October 5, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Artillery
Civilian harm reported
No
Civilians reported killed
Unknown
Civilians reported injured
1
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Suspected belligerent
Libyan rebel forces
Suspected target
Gaddafi forces
View Incident

Incident date

October 1, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-191

LOCATION

مستشفى ابن سينا, Ibn Sina hospital, Surt, Libya

According to sources affiliated with the Gaddafi regime, a girl was killed due to indiscriminate shelling on ‘Ibn Sina hospital’ in Sirte, in October the first, 2011. @nooo21 said that “indiscriminate shelling by the rebels hits the Sirte city hospital with missiles.”

Summary

First published
October 1, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Declared strike
Strike type
Airstrike
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Suspected belligerent
Libyan rebel forces
Known target
Gaddafi forces
Named victims
1 named
View Incident

Incident date

September 25, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-189

LOCATION

سرت‎, Sirte, Surt, Libya

One child was killed by Rebel forces artillery shelling and its mother injured in Sirte, according to the UN. The report said: “Family members interviewed by the Commission stated that a female relative was injured by shrapnel, and her infant daughter was killed, when her home in Hay al-Dollar was hit by Grad rockets in

Summary

First published
September 30, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Artillery
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 child)
Civilians reported injured
1
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected belligerent
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

September 16, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-166

LOCATION

سرت‎, Sirte, Surt, Libya

Several civilians were allegedly killed by Rebel forces shelling on Sirte. A UN report stated: “Thuwar forces used Grad rockets, artillery shells and RPGs, as well as small and medium calibre weapons in their assault on Sirte. They launched barrages of Grad rockets hitting residential areas like Area 1, Hay al-Dollar, and Montaza. Residents told

Summary

First published
September 16, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Artillery
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
5 – 10
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected belligerent
Libyan rebel forces
Suspected target
Gaddafi forces
View Incident

Incident date

September 13, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-161

LOCATION

طرابلس‎, Tripoli, Tarabulus, Libya

At least one man was killed in Tripoli by rebels on September 13, 2011 according to the UN Report Source Page 83.

Summary

First published
September 13, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected belligerent
Libyan rebel forces
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

September 10, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-160

LOCATION

بنغازي‎, Benghazi, Libya

Dozens of people (between 24 to 36) people were killed in Benghazi on September 10, 2011 when they were demonstrating their support of Bani Walid according to a Facebook posts from Ahmed Azzawi Mahmoud and Fedayeen Muammar Gaddafi in southern Tunisia

Summary

First published
September 10, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
24 – 36
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

September 7, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-159

LOCATION

ابالحنيوة, Al Haniyah, Surt, Libya

One child was reported killed by a NATO or Rebel forces airstrike on the Al Haniyeh neighbourhood of Sirte. Nour Al Din Nasser Al Zanki said that “he suffered full body and face burns, cut wounds to the right leg, and amputation of a toe on the right foot. He died several days later.” Sirte

Summary

First published
September 7, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Likely strike
Strike type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1 – 2
(1 child1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Suspected belligerents
NATO forces, Libyan rebel forces
Suspected target
Unknown
Named victims
1 named
View Incident

Incident date

September 6, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-157

LOCATION

Libya

A single source reported one potential civilian death from a Rebel forces or NATO action in Libya. Nour Al Din Nasser Al Zanki said that “Sada Moftah Attaf, 26 years old, was killed” on September 6th. There is currently no further information available.

Summary

First published
September 6, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Airstrike and/or Artillery
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected belligerents
Libyan rebel forces, NATO forces
Suspected target
Gaddafi forces
Named victims
1 named
View Incident

Incident date

August 28, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-153

LOCATION

ابوكماش, Abu Kammash, An Nuqat al Khams, Libya

At least one man was killed by Zowara rebels after he was apprehended on August 28, 2011 in Abu Kammash according to the UN Report Source Page 80. An unarmed man was apprehended from Riqdalin and was then forced to face a wall and was then shot.

Summary

First published
August 28, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected target
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

August 11, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-139

LOCATION

تاورغاء‎, Tawergha, Misrata, Libya

Between 24 and 74 civilians, including at least 2 women, in Tawergha were killed by shelling and rockets launched allegedly by the rebels and/or NATO as they advanced into the town after taking control of Misurata. Civilian homes were struck by shells and were killed and injured, eventually resulting in a massive exodus of the

Summary

First published
August 1, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike type
Artillery
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
24 – 74
(2 women1 man)
Cause of injury / death
Heavy weapons and explosive munitions
Airwars civilian harm grading
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Suspected belligerent
Gaddafi Forces
Suspected targets
Libyan rebel forces, NATO forces
Named victims
30 named, 5 families identified
View Incident

Incident date

May 7, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-089

LOCATION

زاوية البقول, Zawiyat Al Baqoul, Al Jabal al Gharbi, Libya

Three civilians were allegedly killed by Libyan rebel forces in Zawiyat Al Baqoul. The UN’s investigation into Libya 2011 later reported the following: “The Commission also received reports of killings of members of other groups perceived to be Qadhafi loyalists, which typically took place in the immediate aftermath of the thuwar gaining control of the

Summary

First published
May 7, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
3
(3 men)
Cause of injury / death
Small arms and light weapons
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
Suspected belligerent
Libyan rebel forces
View Incident

Incident date

April 7, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-063

LOCATION

القوارشة, Al Qawarsheh, Benghazi, Libya

On April 7th, 2011, the body of an unidentified man was found in the Al Qawarsheh neighborhood of Benghazi, suspected to have been killed by Libyan rebel forces. A UN report cites the death of the man. The UN report states “the General Prosecution in Benghazi indicating that a body of an unidentified black man

Summary

First published
April 7, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
1
(1 man)
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
View Incident

Incident date

February 18, 2011

Incident Code

Lib2011-012

LOCATION

البيضان, Al Bayda, Al Wahat, Libya

On February 18th, 2011, at least 14 people were killed and dozens were wounded in, as reported by the French Press Agency. Two members of the security forces were also reported hanged. Wiki news reports “At least 14 people were killed and dozens wounded in the demonstrations. The French Press Agency also reported that the

Summary

First published
February 18, 2011
Last updated
January 18, 2022
Strike status
Single source claim
Strike type
Ground operation
Civilian harm reported
Yes
Civilians reported killed
2
Airwars civilian harm grading
Weak
Single source claim, though sometimes featuring significant information.
View Incident