The Libyan National Army (LNA) made significant gains in Benghazi last week, after a blitz offensive took the district of Garyounis, including the tourist village at Ganfuda, from remnants of ISIS and the Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council on 22 June… Conflict between the LNA and the Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) did not escalate last week. An LNA spokesperson stated that a two-week truce was initiated to enable a peaceful resolution between both parties. Meanwhile, the DMSC is supporting renegade Islamist militias planning to attack Ajdabiya and Benghazi that have the potential to re-escalate conflict.

Two key types of non-state actors may now be identified vis-a-vis theLibyan National Army (LNA): The first group is comprised of Islamist actors in the cities of Benghazi, Derna and Ajdabiya, (including ISIS, Ansar Al Sharia, Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council, Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council, Benghazi Defense Brigade and the Ajdabiya Liberation Operation Room. The second group consists of militias that were once aligned with Khalifa Haftar, who have opted to support the Government of National Accord instead. Conflict is likely to continue unabated in Benghazi between the LNA and these groups, and may escalate further in Derna and Ajdabiya in the short term.

Over the last week, there has been increasing conflict between jihadi actors and the Libyan National Army (LNA) in eastern Libya. The LNA offensive in Benghazi continues to face fierce resistance from ISIS militants, Ansar Al Sharia (AAS) fighters and the Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council (BRSC) fighters in Sabri and Souq Al-Hout. Meanwhile, LNA airstrikes on Derna Mujahedeen Shura Council (DMSC) targets have inspired local hostility.

On 1 June, a group composed of hardline Islamist revolutionaries from Benghazi and Ajdabiya issued a televised statement, aired by former Libya Dawn mouthpiece Al-Nabaa, declaring the establishment of the “Benghazi Defense Corps” (BDC)… The BDC said it would begin a new phase of operations to ‘defend’ Benghazi from the Libyan National Army (LNA), and pledged full solidarity with the Benghazi Revolutionary Shura Council.