The Libyan National Army (LNA) continued its assault on areas held by ISIS and the coalition of Islamist militias in Benghazi, including the Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council (BRSC) and Ansar Al Sharia (AAS). Heavy fighting is still taking place near the cement factory in Hawari, where the coalition of militias is putting up intense resistance. In Derna, fighting between ISIS …

Non-state actors (including ISIS) seemed to focus more on the media and propaganda war over the last week, as opposed to field combat. The media arm of the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC), Al Salsabeel Institution, released a video on 20 March of the interrogation of captured ISIS members. The video revealed the identities of 16 ISIS members that were …

Ansar al-Sharia (AAS) continues to publish videos, including UAV video footage of 120mm mortar fire on the Libyan National Army (LNA) in the Hawari area of southern Benghazi, and a sniper using a .50-caliber rifle to target LNA soldiers. The Benghazi-based coalition of jihadists is showing increasing signs of breakdown. Recently, the coalition had mutually agreed to drop ‘political’ labels …

Since the beginning of 2016, coinciding with the new ISIS campaign against Libyan Oil Crescent ports and the Libyan National Army’s (LNA) latest surge against ISIS-linked militias in Benghazi, the significance of other non-state actors has diminished. The LNA’s advance in Benghazi last week against ISIS, the Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council (BRSC) and Ansar Al Sharia (AAS) has caused a large …

The LNA’s ‘Operation Martyr’s Blood’ has demonstrated that there is not much distinction in fact between Ansar Al Sharia (AAS) in Benghazi and the Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council. Wissam Bin Hamid, a known BRSC leader and icon of ‘revolutionaries’ in Benghazi, was shown leading an AAS assault against the LNA raids in the western front on 26 February.