LibyaKey figures
Who is fighting
Government of National Unity (Tripoli) and allied militias
- GNU (Abdul Hamid Dbeibah)
- 444th and 111th Brigades
- Stability Support Apparatus and Tripoli militias
- Misrata and Zawiya armed groups
- Turkey (troops, drones)
- Qatar
- Italy
Eastern government and Libyan National Army (Haftar)
- Libyan National Army (Khalifa and Saddam Haftar)
- Government of National Stability (Osama Hammad)
- House of Representatives (Tobruk)
- Russia (Africa Corps, air bases)
- United Arab Emirates
- Egypt
- Saudi Arabia
- France (reported)
Force sizes are estimates of personnel or fighters, usually from IISS, government statements or specialist reporting; irregular forces are especially hard to count. "(reported)" marks external support that the backer disputes or has not confirmed.
Background
The 2011 uprising and NATO intervention toppled Muammar Gaddafi, and a second civil war began in 2014 when Haftar launched 'Operation Dignity' against Islamist militias and rival parliaments formed in Tripoli and Tobruk. Haftar's 2019-2020 offensive on Tripoli was defeated with Turkish drones and troops; a ceasefire in October 2020 and the 2021 Government of National Unity under Abdul Hamid Dbeibah were meant to lead to elections that never took place. A rival eastern government under Osama Hammad, Haftar's sons' growing control of the LNA and oil revenues, and Russian basing in the east have entrenched the division.
Violence since 2020 has been episodic: Tripoli militia battles in 2022 and in May 2025 (after the killing of SSA commander al-Kikli, ended by a 14 May ceasefire), fighting in the far south, and the Derna flood disaster of 2023 (11,000+ dead). In 2026 Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was shot dead in Zintan (3 February), LNA-affiliated forces fought smugglers and armed groups near the Niger and Chad borders (February, 'dozens' of soldiers killed), a new 'Southern Liberation Operations Room' attacked an LNA checkpoint at Gatrun (12 July), a car bomb killed LNA intelligence chief Fawzi al-Mansouri in Benghazi (10 August), drone strikes hit the Zawiya refinery and substations (11-12 August), an armed group shut the El Sharara pipeline (21 September) and the House of Representatives removed speaker Aguila Saleh (7 October). The rival governments agreed in principle on an electoral overhaul on 25 August 2026, but Tripoli's accusations that Saddam Haftar directs the drone campaign threaten the US-backed unity process.
Recent developments
- 9 October 2026Firefight between the military and smugglers in Kufra; 1.3 million narcotic pills seized. source ↗
- 4 October 2026Tripoli-linked figures accuse Saddam Haftar of overseeing the cell behind drone strikes on western fuel facilities, threatening the US-backed unity push. source ↗
- 21 September 2026An armed group shuts a valve on the El Sharara-Zawiya pipeline; the National Oil Corporation warns of force majeure. source ↗
- 25 August 2026Initial agreement between the rival governments on a new electoral framework. source ↗
- 11 August 2026Third drone attack in two days on the Zawiya refinery complex; a substation strike takes 700 MW offline. source ↗
- 10 August 2026Car bomb kills LNA military intelligence chief Fawzi al-Mansouri outside his Benghazi home. source ↗
Timeline
- 17 February 2011Uprising against Gaddafi begins; he is killed on 20 October after NATO intervention.
- 16 May 2014Haftar launches 'Operation Dignity'; rival parliaments split the country.
- 4 April 2019LNA offensive on Tripoli begins; it is repelled with Turkish support in 2020.
- 23 October 2020Nationwide ceasefire signed in Geneva.
- 24 December 2021Planned presidential election postponed indefinitely.
- 10 September 2023Storm Daniel floods Derna, killing more than 11,000.
- 14 May 2025Ceasefire ends days of Tripoli militia fighting triggered by the killing of SSA leader al-Kikli.
- 3 February 2026Saif al-Islam Gaddafi shot dead in Zintan.
- 24 February 2026Multi-day clashes near the Niger and Chad borders kill dozens of LNA-affiliated soldiers.
- 12 July 2026New 'Southern Liberation Operations Room' attacks an LNA checkpoint near Gatrun; LNA accuses the GNU of hosting it.
- 10 August 2026Car bomb kills LNA intelligence chief Fawzi al-Mansouri in Benghazi; drone strikes hit the Zawiya refinery the next day.
- 25 August 2026Rival governments reach an initial agreement to overhaul the electoral system.
- 7 October 2026House of Representatives ends Aguila Saleh's tenure as speaker.
Casualties and displacement in detail
| Measure | Low | High | What the figure covers · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total killed (cumulative) | – | – | No reliable total for 2014-2026; the 2019-2020 Tripoli war alone killed over 2,000 (UN). Storm Daniel in 2023 killed 11,000+ in Derna (not conflict deaths). cfr.org ↗ |
| Combatants killed | – | – | 2026: 'dozens' of soldiers in February border clashes (no exact figure), three LNA members on 31 January, LNA intelligence chief on 10 August. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Civilians killed | – | – | Not aggregated; migrant deaths at sea and in mass graves (e.g. 21 bodies near Ajdabiya, January 2026) are not conflict deaths. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Wounded | – | – | Not recorded. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Deaths in the last 12 months | – | – | Reported incidents (February border clashes with 'dozens' of soldiers killed, Benghazi car bomb, Gatrun attack, Surman clashes) suggest a toll above 25, but no source gives a count. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Internally displaced | – | – | IOM counted about 100,000 IDPs in recent years; no 2026 figure retrieved. Over 40,000 were displaced by the 2023 floods. cfr.org ↗ |
| Refugees abroad | – | – | Not applicable at scale; Libya is mainly a transit country for migrants. cfr.org ↗ |
Intensity classification: Large-scale fighting ended with the October 2020 ceasefire. In the last 12 months reported deaths include 'dozens' of LNA-affiliated soldiers in multi-day clashes near the Niger and Chad borders (February 2026), three LNA members killed on the Niger border (31 January), the LNA intelligence chief killed by a car bomb in Benghazi (10 August), an attack on an LNA checkpoint at Gatrun (12 July) and militia clashes around Surman (August); the May 2025 Tripoli militia battles fall just outside the window. Included as a frozen conflict of major public interest; the 25-death threshold is probably met but not firmly documented..
Countries affected
Frequently asked questions
Who is fighting in the Libya: divided state (Tripoli government vs Haftar's eastern camp)?
Government of National Unity (Tripoli) and allied militias (GNU (Abdul Hamid Dbeibah), 444th and 111th Brigades, Stability Support Apparatus and Tripoli militias, Misrata and Zawiya armed groups), supported by Turkey (troops, drones), Qatar, Italy; against Eastern government and Libyan National Army (Haftar) (Libyan National Army (Khalifa and Saddam Haftar), Government of National Stability (Osama Hammad), House of Representatives (Tobruk)), supported by Russia (Africa Corps, air bases), United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia.
Is the Libya: divided state (Tripoli government vs Haftar's eastern camp) still ongoing in 2026?
Status as of 19 October 2026: Low intensity — Libya remains split between the UN-recognised Government of National Unity in Tripoli, backed by Turkey and a patchwork of militias, and the eastern government and Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army, backed by Russia's Africa Corps, the UAE and Egypt. Elections have been postponed since 2021; a US-led push for unification produced an initial electoral agreement in August 2026, but the same month saw the assassination of the LNA's intelligence chief, drone strikes on the Zawiya refinery and western power grid attributed by Tripoli to Haftar's camp, and renewed militia clashes.
When did it start?
The current phase began on 16 May 2014, but the underlying conflict dates back to 2011 — 12 years, 5 months ago.
Sources
- CFR Global Conflict Tracker — Libya cfr.org
- UN News — Libya political process regains momentum (June 2026) news.un.org
- Crisis Group — Libya crisisgroup.org
- The New Arab — Saddam Haftar drone claims (Oct 2026) newarab.com
- Wikipedia — 2026 in Libya en.wikipedia.org
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