Battle of Brega–Ajdabiya road
Fought 8 April to 14 July 2011 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Battle of Brega–Ajdabiya road was a battle during the Libyan Civil War between forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and anti-Gaddafi forces for control of the towns of Brega and Ajdabiya respectively and the Libyan Coastal Highway between them.
Battle of Brega–Ajdabiya road | |||||||
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Part of the Libyan Civil War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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support: | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
5,000 (by 20 June)[6] |
1,500[7]–3,000[8] (by 23 April) 3,000[9]–7,000[6] (by late June/early July) | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
75–87 killed[10] 4 missing[11] 174–185 wounded[12] 1 attack helicopter[13] and 2 Chinook transport helicopters* shot down[14] |
94–95 killed,[citation needed] 6–13 tanks destroyed in air-strikes (NATO claim; First phase)[17][18] | ||||||
26-46 Libyan[19][20][21][22] and 1 Algerian[23] civilian killed, 70 Libyan civilians missing[24] | |||||||
*No independent confirmation of the claim by the government to have shot down the two Chinooks, however, rebels confirmed the previous day that they had sent two helicopters into battle |
This theater of the war saw a stagnant front forming quickly. By late June neither the loyalists or rebels were able to advance, and were thus holding firm on their respective sides of the frontline. In an effort to break the deadlock, NATO's air-force began an intensified bombing campaign of government military positions; by mid-July, however, the situation remained essentially unchanged.
Eventually, on 14 July 2011, the rebels started an all-out offensive in an attempt to break the stalemate. However, their attack was repelled and the deadlock continued.