![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Sirteof.svg/640px-Sirteof.svg.png&w=640&q=50)
Battle of Sirte (2016)
Battle in the spring of 2016, in the region of Sirte, Libya / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Battle of Sirte during the Second Libyan Civil War started in the spring of 2016, in the Sirte District of Libya, between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the loyalist forces of the Government of National Accord (GNA) backed by the United States. ISIL forces had captured Sirte one year earlier, during the previous battle. The conflict for Sirte was described as ISIL's "last stand" in Libya.[31]
Battle of Sirte (2016) | |||||||
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Part of the Second Libyan Civil War, the American intervention in Libya and the Military intervention against ISIL | |||||||
![]() Map of the GNA's advances in Sirte from 16 June to 6 December 2016 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
![]() ![]() (Head of Misrata military council)[3] ![]() ![]() (Head of military intelligence in Misrata)[3] ![]() ![]() (Misrata Brigades senior commander) ![]() ![]() (field commander) |
![]() (ISIL governor of Wilayat Tarabulus) ![]() (ISIL leader in Libya) ![]() (ISIL commander of Sirte) ![]() (ISIL top commander) ![]() (ISIL field commander) ![]() (ISIL commander) ![]() (ISIL commander) ![]() (ISIL commander) ![]() (ISIL commander and preacher) ![]() (ISIL preacher) | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
6,000 fighters (in August 2016)[22] | 2,000–2,500 fighters[23][24] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
![]() 5,000 killed or wounded[9] (ISIL claim) ![]() | 2,500 killed[27] and 87+ captured[28] (GNA claim) | ||||||
37 civilians killed by air-strikes[29] 35,000 people displaced (as of July 2016)[30] |
The latter portion of this battle was concurrent with the Battle of Mosul against ISIL in Iraq, with the Raqqa campaign by the Syrian Democratic Forces on ISIL's de facto capital in Syria, and with the Battle of al-Bab in northern Syria.