The Second Battle of Zawiya or Zawia was a battle in the Libyan Civil War between rebel anti-Gaddafi forces and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi for control of the Tripolitanian city of Zawia.
Background
Zawiya rose against Gaddafi on 24 February, and formed an important strategic obstacle to loyalists. Strong loyalist efforts were made to recover the city, and after withstanding two to three weeks of assault by two mechanized brigades (the Khamis and Hosban), the city fell on 10 March. This victory allowed loyalist forces to reconquer other rebel-held cities on the western Tripolitanian coast, including Zuwara.
Rebel forces made an attempt to regain the city in mid-June, but this attempt was unsuccessful.
Holding Zawiya was a priority for the pro-Gaddafi forces, as the city lies on their coastal supply route and is a vital control city on the route from Tripoli to Tunisia. It also is home to an important oil refinery, the only one in loyalist hands prior to the battle.
The battle
The Associated Press reported that among the rebel forces advancing on the city, a leading contingent were rebels from Zawiya who had fled to the mountains. The bulk of the opposition force advanced to a bridge on the southwestern outskirts before being hit by loyalist artillery fire. One group of rebels got through loyalist defensive lines in the western sector of the town, overrunning it, and pushed into the city center. At the same time, upon the entrance of the rebels into the streets of the city, they were cheered by some residents who came out of their homes to greet them, shouting "God is great". Some joined the rebels as fighters. A rebel spokesman asserted that the pro-Gaddafi forces' areas of control had been reduced to a couple of pockets, and that the rebels in the mountains could send supplies and reinforcements to Zawiya at any time since the road was open. After the rebels reached the main square, loyalist forces from the eastern part of Zawiya counter-attacked with a barrage of heavy weapons.
NATO conducted airstrikes in support of rebel forces. One strike hit a rebel tank in a friendly fire incident, killing four.
By the evening, the Libyan government stated that a rebel force entered the city on a suicide mission but failed to take control of the town and that Zawiya was totally under government control. A rebel commander stated that opposition forces were almost a kilometer south of the city center, on the western side of the main road, while loyalist troops were on the east side. A Reuters reporter stated that gunfire could be heard on the outskirts of the city.
Reports were contradictory regarding the situation in the city. A Reuters reporter stated that the rebels held the city center with no signs of ongoing heavy fighting, though occasional gunfire could be heard. An Al Jazeera reporter stated that there was still ongoing fighting within the city, and the city center had not yet been taken.
Opposition forces claimed to control 70 percent of Zawiya, but loyalist snipers and sleeper cells remained in the city, and the rebels had not yet been able to clear them. The bulk of the pro-Gaddafi forces were reported to have retreated east towards Tripoli, though it was not immediately clear whether or not this was a strategic withdrawal. Rebels also feared a potential loyalist counteroffensive in the near future. Rebel forces captured several abandoned weapons, including ammunition, anti aircraft guns and anti tank artillery.
On 14 August, in the afternoon, an Al Jazeera reporter said that fighting was still ongoing and that the rebels had not taken the center of the city. A rebel commander told the AFP that they controlled the western and southern gate of Zawiya while government forces were controlling the east and the center of the town. He stated that they managed to push 3 km inside the city but were suffering high casualties due to fire from snipers, without giving a number. At 16:15, an Al Jazeera field reporter said that the rebels had taken control of a key highway running through Zawiya, the one that links Tunisia to Tripoli. Ongoing fighting was occurring in the southern Surnam district where loyalist forces had been shelling rebels with artillery from inside the city. A NATO spokesman said: "Nothing is certain yet and there is no confirmation about who has control of Zawiya because the situation changes every day."