The siege of Bani Walid was a military conflict in Libya.
History
Bani Walid is an oasis town in western Libya which has a historic rivalry with the city of Misrata. During the civil war in 2011, Bani Walid remained a bastion of support for the government of Muammar Gaddafi until the very end of the war, while Misrata was one of the first towns to rise up, emerging victorious from a months-long siege. After the end of the war, a number of Misratan militias made efforts to capture those people who they believed were linked to the previous government.
After a string of abuses, local fighters in Bani Walid retook control of their town and expelled the new government from the city. The brigade was then involved in revenge kidnappings with Misrata during the majority of 2012.
In July, while they were holding two Misratan journalists, fighters in Bani Walid captured and tortured Misratan militiaman Omran Shaaban, one of the original captors of Gaddafi at the end of the battle of Sirte. He died later of his wounds. In response, the Libyan Congress authorized the use of force against Bani Walid to capture those responsible for the deaths, setting a deadline of 5 October for the town to peacefully comply. The local government of Bani Walid rejected the decision, stating that no true judiciary system existed in Libya.
Following this event, the armed forces of the new government and allied independent militias mounted a siege on the city.
Fighting
At the end of September, the Libyan Shield brigade from the Libyan government and Misrata militias cut the roads leading to Bani Walid, preventing civilian supplies from entering the city. Amnesty International protested against the siege of the city.
On 2 October, clashes erupted between the pro-government militias from Misrata and local militiamen in Bani Walid. One person was killed and 5-10 were wounded.
On 10 October, violent clashes erupted between Bani Walid militias and Misrata militias in the valley of Mardum, 10 km east of Bani Walid. One Bani Walid fighter was killed and two others injured, while the overall death toll was put at 10 killed. 5-10 civilians died due to shelling by the Misrata militias while some supplies were successfully delivered to the city.
On 17 October, Bani Walid was shelled once again as ground clashes raged. Five government militiamen were killed and 44 wounded in the fighting, while seven Bani Walid residents died in the shelling and 75 were wounded.
On 18 October, around 2,000 Libyan National Army units and its aligned militias, mainly from city of Misrata, started, after failed negotiations between the government and the local council, full-scale attack on Bani Walid. Army spokesman claimed that army moved quickly and secured town airport and was closing to city centre. This was denied by residents of the town who claimed that the airport was still under local militias control and that the army had not entered the town. Meanwhile, the chief of staff, Yussef al-Mangush said that the army will be sent to the city and will take over to impose security. He added that he hoped that the army would be able to enter the city peacefully.
On 19 October, the Misrata militias and the Libyan army had pulled back, and the president of the transitional congress imposed a 48-hour ceasefire, condemning the "unauthorized assault" of the Misrata and government forces. Eight government soldiers and militiamen were killed in the fighting, while 12 people from Bani Walid, fighters and residents. A Libyan officer told that the ceasefire was to allow civilians to leave the city, but locals said that they won't leave their city.
Their closest position to Bani Walid was some 25 miles from the town itself, a point captured during the offensive between 16 and 18 October. Despite claims from Margarief that the resolution needed to be peaceful, the Libyan Army and its allied militia was preparing another assault, moving heavy weapons and ammunition to the battlefield.
The shelling on the city and its outskirts continued and the ceasefire was ignored, with five residents, including a child, killed and 40 houses destroyed by the rockets fired by the militias. The shelling was concentrated on the Valley of Mardoum. The military commander of Bani Walid stated that his forces were still in full control of the city. Libyan Shields forces and Misrata militias stated that their offensive had been sanctioned by the government, while a military official denied it, adding to the confusion. The talks between Bani Walid and pro Misrata government forces for a negotiated solution collapsed.