11 September – 17 September: Alleged Ansar al-Sharia affiliate killed in southern Tripoli

Sep 18, 2019 | Other Jihadi Actors

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, along with four other alleged Benghazi Shura Council Members. Al-Akbab was born in 1985 and was a resident of the jihadi-stronghold Laithi area of Benghazi.

Yousef al-Akbab is allegedly one of three brothers. Most notable of these is Ahmed al-Akbab (aka Ahmed the Driver) who was a member of ISIS and killed in 2015 in clashes against the LNA in the Laithi area of Benghazi. He had previously spent time in Syria in 2013 before returning to Libya via Sirte. His brother Mohammed (aka “Ahmeida”) was allegedly linked to Ansar al-Sharia and killed in 2017. This other brother Hamza (aka “Boushertilah”) fled Benghazi in 2015 after being injured during clashes in Hawari.