147:
126:
36:
158:
444:
351:. A senior Libyan Special Forces official later claimed to the Libya Herald that LSF losses in Benghazi between the 21 and 30 July totaled some 63 dead and 200 wounded. Whilst the official was unsure of the number of Islamist dead, he claimed that it was in the dozens.
544:
354:
By 13 August 2014 the LSF presence in
Benghazi was almost entirely limited to Benina Airport; the base of Operation Dignity's helicopter unit. Many of the forces top commanders were in turn operating out of the Operation Dignity stronghold of Tobruk.
292:
was a member of the unit. Since
December 2015, he held positions of command responsibility. As of August 2017, his title was Axes Commander and he held responsibility for at least one detention centre. In 2017 and 2018 he was indicted for the
332:
in summer 2013, in an attempt to control the growing disorder. As a result, it came under repeated attacks and several of its officers killed. The force is reportedly popular in
Benghazi, particularly in light of its stance against the Islamist
941:
302:
765:
344:, a government-sanctioned powerful militia; despite these frictions, between November and December 2013 the LSF Brigade fought the Ansar al-Sharia militia, suffering some losses.
298:
250:
716:
904:
237:
unit formed from a mixture of paratroopers, paramilitary forces and commandos. (They should not be confused with the similarly named
Lightning Bolt Brigade (
877:
348:
140:
628:
520:
618:"Fifteenth report of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to the United Nations Security Council pursuant to UNSCR 1970 (2011)"
469:
181:
653:
589:
347:
At the end of July 2014 the brigade was pushed out of its main base in
Benghazi's Buatni district by Islamist fighters from the
708:
270:
390:
624:
585:
851:
709:"Libya: Threat of Tripoli Fighting Raises Atrocity Concerns — Hiftar's Forces, Rival Militias Have History of Abuses"
936:
773:
657:
334:
173:
151:
799:
309:
177:
64:
20:
617:
495:
364:
317:
234:
130:
113:
59:
289:
246:
281:
As of March 2014, they numbered about 5000 soldiers and reported to the
Ministry of Defence.
712:
341:
49:
35:
447:[Members of the Libyan Special Forces killed in clashes with gunmen in Benghazi].
266:
242:
222:
198:
574:
269:
government. In the 1990s, the Libyan
Special Forces helped to suppress the rebellion of
313:
257:
of murdering and ordering the murders of non-combatants, and was assassinated in 2021.
682:
305:. As of 6 April 2019, the ICC warrants for his arrest remained outstanding.
930:
163:
422:["Thunderbolt" opens the door to recruit volunteers for military service].
905:"Ansar increases presence at Benina check-point as criticism of Saiqa mounts"
337:
group and because it is seen as a symbol of the reborn Libyan armed forces.
294:
254:
825:
369:
329:
95:
85:
547:[Will the Thunderbolt become a spearhead for Haftar's forces?].
340:
The Libyan
Special Forces Brigade reportedly has had frictions with the
419:
285:
739:"Abdul Salam Al-Hassi Becomes Commander of the Libyan Special Forces"
445:"مقتل عناصر من القوات الخاصة الليبية في اشتباكات مع مسلحين في بنغازي"
764:
Dorda, Mohamed; Crowley, Oliver; Moshashai, Daniel (December 2020).
265:
The pro-government force emerged from a militia in 2010, during the
878:"Sixty-three Saiqa members killed and 200 wounded in July fighting"
328:
Libyan
Special Forces came to prominence after its deployment in
738:
297:
of murdering and ordering the murders of non-combatants by the
420:"«الصاعقة» تفتح باب القبول لتجنيد متطوعين في الخدمة العسكرية"
826:"LIBYAN SPECIAL FORCES EXPEL ANSAR AL-SHARI'A FROM BENGHAZI"
611:
609:
470:"Grenade thrown at entrance to Saiqa headquarters in Buatni"
308:
The commander of the Libyan
Special Forces is Major General
654:"Libyan commander wanted for war crimes by ICC shot dead"
316:
following the passing of his predecessor Major General
683:"Guide to key Libyan militias and other armed groups"
577:
The Prosecutor v. Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli
569:
567:
565:
169:
136:
119:
109:
101:
91:
81:
71:
55:
45:
28:
942:Military units and formations established in 2010
284:In 2013, the Libyan Special Forces commander was
288:Wanes Abu Khamadah. From 2011 to at least 2017,
852:"Libya, Syria, and the Resurgence of Al-Qaeda"
521:"The Accordion War: Libya's Ever-Moving Front"
8:
800:"Benghazi faces tough task securing streets"
793:
791:
616:The Office of the Prosecutor (9 May 2018).
677:
675:
25:
766:"Eastern Libya's Situation Grows Fragile"
349:Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries
141:Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries
40:Official emblem of Libyan Special Forces
381:
545:"هل تصبح الصاعقة رأس حربة لقوات حفتر؟"
312:. He was appointed to the position by
824:McGregor, Andrew (28 November 2013).
391:"Libya: military actors and militias"
249:was indicted in 2017 and 2018 by the
7:
164:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
226:
202:
634:from the original on 14 April 2019
14:
903:Ibrahim, Noora (13 August 2014).
850:Burweila, Aya (29 January 2014).
719:from the original on 9 April 2019
876:Amzein, Aimen (11 August 2014).
830:Aberfoyle International Security
156:
145:
124:
34:
595:from the original on 2019-04-15
182:Libyan Civil War (2014–present)
16:Elite Libyan National Army unit
496:"Mapping Libya's armed groups"
303:8(2)(c)(i) of the Rome Statute
241:Brigade) which is part of the
1:
798:Algattani, Ali (2013-07-31).
418:Manna, Fatih (12 July 2017).
271:Libyan Islamic Fighting Group
625:International Criminal Court
586:International Criminal Court
299:International Criminal Court
251:International Criminal Court
519:Calder, Ryan (2011-04-05).
245:.) Prominent LSF commander
958:
774:Konrad Adenauer Foundation
18:
277:Composition and hierarchy
230:
33:
658:Al Jazeera Media Network
451:(in Arabic). 2013-06-15
174:Libyan Civil War (2011)
231:lightning, thunderbolt
178:2013 Benghazi conflict
205:), also known as the
203:القوات الخاصة الليبية
191:Libyan Special Forces
29:Libyan Special Forces
856:The Jerusalem Review
449:فرانس 24 / France 24
389:Finucci, Francesco.
365:Libyan National Army
310:Abdul Salam Al-Hassi
301:(ICC) under Article
235:Libyan National Army
211:Saiqa Special Forces
131:Libyan National Army
114:Libyan National Army
105:Up to 5,000 soldiers
65:Abdul Salam Al-Hassi
19:For other uses, see
689:. 28 September 2012
290:Mahmoud al-Werfalli
247:Mahmoud al-Werfalli
92:Active regions
745:. 16 November 2020
713:Human Rights Watch
579:Warrant of Arrest"
575:"ICC-01/11-01/17:
342:Libya Shield Force
320:in November 2020.
73:Dates of operation
50:Abdel Fatah Younis
937:Military of Libya
549:www.aljazeera.net
500:www.aljazeera.com
187:
186:
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715:. 6 April 2019.
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474:European Affairs
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409:
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324:Benghazi Clashes
233:), are an elite
232:
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204:
170:Battles and wars
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129:
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74:
38:
26:
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673:
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660:. 24 March 2021
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402:
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398:Global Security
393:
388:
387:
383:
378:
361:
335:Ansar al-Sharia
326:
318:Wanis Bukhamada
279:
267:Muammar Gaddafi
263:
243:Zintan Brigades
180:
176:
157:
155:
154:
152:Ansar al-Sharia
146:
144:
143:
125:
123:
72:
63:
60:Wanis Bukhamada
41:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
955:
953:
945:
944:
939:
929:
928:
923:
922:
895:
868:
842:
816:
787:
756:
730:
700:
671:
645:
605:
588:. 2017-08-15.
561:
536:
511:
486:
461:
436:
410:
380:
379:
377:
374:
373:
372:
367:
360:
359:Related voices
357:
325:
322:
314:Khalifa Haftar
278:
275:
262:
259:
185:
184:
171:
167:
166:
138:
134:
133:
121:
117:
116:
111:
107:
106:
103:
99:
98:
93:
89:
88:
83:
79:
78:
77:1970 – present
75:
69:
68:
57:
53:
52:
47:
43:
42:
39:
31:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
954:
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940:
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906:
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734:
731:
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497:
494:Jazeera, Al.
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32:
27:
22:
913:. Retrieved
909:Libya Herald
908:
898:
886:. Retrieved
882:Libya Herald
881:
871:
859:. Retrieved
855:
845:
833:. Retrieved
829:
819:
807:. Retrieved
803:
778:. Retrieved
770:Inside Libya
769:
759:
747:. Retrieved
743:Libya Review
742:
733:
721:. Retrieved
703:
691:. Retrieved
686:
662:. Retrieved
648:
636:. Retrieved
597:. Retrieved
576:
553:. Retrieved
548:
539:
528:. Retrieved
525:The Atlantic
524:
514:
503:. Retrieved
499:
489:
478:. Retrieved
476:. 2017-09-21
473:
464:
453:. Retrieved
448:
439:
427:. Retrieved
423:
413:
401:. Retrieved
397:
384:
353:
346:
339:
327:
307:
283:
280:
264:
238:
218:
214:
210:
206:
194:
190:
188:
82:Headquarters
67:(since 2020)
62:(until 2020)
551:(in Arabic)
229:; English:
213:and simply
931:Categories
911:. Benghazi
884:. Benghazi
804:Magharebia
780:16 October
749:16 October
664:12 January
599:2017-08-16
555:2023-10-15
530:2023-10-15
505:2023-10-15
480:2023-10-15
455:2023-10-15
429:15 October
376:References
56:Commanders
915:14 August
888:14 August
295:war crime
255:war crime
137:Opponents
861:21 March
835:20 March
809:20 March
717:Archived
693:20 March
687:BBC News
629:Archived
590:Archived
424:Al-Wasat
403:20 March
370:Benghazi
330:Benghazi
253:for the
219:Al-Saiqa
207:Al-Saiqa
96:Benghazi
86:Benghazi
723:9 April
638:9 April
286:Colonel
261:Origins
227:الصاعقة
110:Part of
46:Founder
776:: 9–11
239:Sawaiq
223:Arabic
199:Arabic
161:
120:Allies
772:(4).
632:(PDF)
621:(PDF)
593:(PDF)
582:(PDF)
394:(PDF)
215:Saiqa
21:Saiqa
917:2014
890:2014
863:2014
837:2014
811:2014
782:2023
751:2023
725:2019
695:2014
666:2024
640:2019
431:2023
405:2014
189:The
102:Size
217:or
209:or
197:) (
195:LSF
933::
907:.
880:.
854:.
828:.
802:.
790:^
768:.
741:.
711:.
685:.
674:^
656:.
627:.
623:.
608:^
584:.
564:^
523:.
498:.
472:.
396:.
273:.
225::
201::
919:.
892:.
865:.
839:.
813:.
784:.
753:.
727:.
697:.
668:.
642:.
602:.
558:.
533:.
508:.
483:.
458:.
433:.
407:.
221:(
193:(
23:.
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