On 25 July, airstrikes are reported to have occurred targeting a house in the Sharib area near Ubari in Southern Libya, containing individuals thought to be affiliated with al-Qaeda.

On 21 July, reports began emerging suggesting that prominent al-Qaeda linked figures Mahfouz Ould al-Walid (Abu Hafs al-Mauritani) and Hisham Ashmawi (Abu Omar al-Muhajir al-Masri) are amongst the Derna Protection Force (DFP) remnants isolated to small pockets of old town Derna by the LNA.

On 11 July, Libyan National Army (LNA) 106th Battalion, led by Khalifa Haftar’s son Khalid, issued an arrest warrant for al-Saiqa Commander Mahmoud al-Werfalli, a notable figure among ‘Madkhali’ Salafists in the LNA. Al-Werfalli reportedly threatened al-Madani al-Fakhiri, who currently heads the Military Investment Agency.

Last week, the Libyan National Army’s 101 Brigade published photos that circulated on social media of senior al-Qaeda leader Sufiyan Bin Qammu amongst other al-Qaeda militants in Derna. Qammu is thought to be a prominent al-Qaeda theoretician in Libya and is known within the group as “The Libyan Knight.”

On 28 June, commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar announced the ‘liberation’ of the city of Derna. Earlier that day the LNA had stated that they had complete control of the city and that Brigadier General Salem al-Rifadi was appointed the head of the Joint Security Operations Room for the city.