The Libya Shield Force's 2015 Battle to Recapture Sirte

The Libya Shield Force engaged the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the region of Sirte during the spring of 2015. Following the fall of Nofaliya, the Tripoli-based government decided to send reinforcements to recapture the city. The fighting began on 14 March 2015. While no initial death toll was given, the combat was described as violent and continued until dusk. Among those killed was Ahmed al-Rouissi, a Tunisian ISIL commander.

On 18 March, 12 Tripoli government soldiers were killed during fighting against ISIL fighters, with 10 falling in Nofaliya and 2 in Bin Jawad. On 25 March, ISIL attacked a Brigade 166 checkpoint 15 kilometers west of Sirte, killing five militiamen. Over the next two months, sporadic fighting took place around the city.

On 20 May, ISIL forces attacked a Brigade 166 position, resulting in the deaths of 23 ISIL fighters and one soldier. By 28 May, ISIL captured the nearly-ruined Ghardabiya Airbase and the Great Man-Made River water project outside of Sirte as the Libya Shield Forces withdrew to positions 12 miles west of the city.

By September 2015, ISIL asserted control over the whole of Sirte after expelling the remaining pro-Gaddafi elements. By February 2016, U.S. officials estimated that there were between 5,000 and 6,500 ISIL fighters in Libya, many of whom were recruits from Iraq, Syria, and Tunisia. In May 2016, the Government of National Accord began a new battle to retake the city.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons