On 13 October, an LNA commander expressed concern that Turkey might attempt to transfer hundreds of extremists belonging to Jabhat al-Nusra from northern Syria to western Libya, via Turkey, to fight amongst the anti-LNA coalition.

No significant developments.

In the wake of US AFRICOM airstrikes targeting ISIS fighters in southern Libya, unverified claims circulated on social media suggesting AQIM-affiliate, Ahmed Abdul-Jaleel al-Hasnawi had also been killed in the operations.

Prior to a US AFRICOM airstrike targeting ISIS fighters near Murzuq on 19 September, a drone was also suspected to have flown over the Wadi Ajal and Ghat, an Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) hotspot

On 15 September, an alleged Ansar al-Sharia affiliate, Yousef Abdul Salam Tarhouni (aka Yousef al-Akbab) was killed during an aerial attack on the defunct Tripoli International Airport in southern Tripoli.

On 7 September, media sources claimed that a former senior member of the Benghazi Shura Council, Salem-al-Zayani, was killed in clashes in southern Tripoli. On 7 September, media outlets reported that Islam Saleh Hassan al-Hassadi (aka Barjum) had been killed in the fighting on the Ain Zara Axis of Tripoli. On 7 September, Al-Fitouri Nasr Muhamed Dabbashi was reportedly killed on the Ain Zara Axis in southern Tripoli.

No notable incidents occurred this week.

On 20 August, a video was circulated on Libyan social media showing Abdullah al-Muhaysini, a Salafi cleric linked with al-Qaeda affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, calling on fighters in Syria to travel to Libya to fight against the LNA. However, this video was released in April of this year.

On 16 August, an unknown armed group kidnapped two Chinese nationals in the desert 75 km south of the border town of Qatroun in southwest Libya.

On 10 August, a car bomb in the Hawari area of Benghazi targeting a UN convoy killed at least three UN staff members. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

GNA-aligned factions have condemned and denied claims there are terrorists fighting within their ranks. On 3 August, BDB member Ali Abdulhafiz al-Zindli was reportedly killed in an LNA airstrike. On 5 August, a video emerged showing a South African who has been held captive in Libya since 2017 when he was seized by a splinter group linked to al-Qaeda.

On 24 July, the Misratan Joint Security Force undertook a dawn raid against alleged al-Qaeda leaders in an undisclosed suburb of Tripoli. The GNA’s interior ministry stated that those arrested were connected to attacks launched in Tripoli.

On 17 July, Hashem Abedi, the brother of the suicide bomber Salman Abedi who blew himself up at a concert the British city of Manchester in May 2017, was extradited from Libya to the UK.

On 11 July, three explosive packages were detonated at the Huwari cemetery in Benghazi during the funeral of a former Special Forces commander under Qadhafi, Khalifa Mismari. According to the LNA spokesperson, Ahmed Mesmari, four people were killed and 33 wounded in the attack.

On 7 July, Libyan National Army (LNA)-aligned security forces in Sabratha reportedly arrested an extremist sleeper cell with a trove of weapons and ammunition planning to launch a terrorist attack in Sabratha. On 6 July, Benghazi Shura Council militia forces were observed moving within the vicinity of Sirte.

On 23 June, unconfirmed reports suggested a prominent Al-Qaeda member, Adel Al-Hanashi, has been fighting against the LNA in the Tripoli suburb of Aziziyah.