Second Battle of Benghazi

Second Battle of Benghazi
Part of Libyan Civil War
Remains of two Palmaria heavy howitzers of the Gaddafi forces, destroyed by French warplanes on the west-southern outskirts of Benghazi, in Opération Harmattan on 19 March 2011.
Date 19–20 March 2011 Location Benghazi, Libya Result Decisive Anti-Gaddafi victory
Belligerents
Anti-Gaddafi forces National Liberation Army Free Libyan Air Force UNSC Resolution 1973 forces[1] France[2]	Gaddafi Loyalists Libyan Army Paramilitary forces
Strength
8,000 defected soldiers (rebel claim)[3] Thousands of volunteers and militia 20 French fighter jets[4]	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Anti-Gaddafi forces 261 killed*[5] MiG-23 shot down[6]	27–30 killed;[7] 50 captured;[8] 70 vehicles destroyed:[9] 14 tanks or SP howitzers, 20 APCs, 2 mobile MRLs, 1 mobile SAM[10] and 33 jeeps, SUVs, technicals or trucks;[11] 4 tanks captured[12]
*The number of dead on the rebel side includes both opposition fighters and civilians

The Second Battle of Benghazi took place during the Libyan Civil War between army units and militiamen loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and anti-Gaddafi forces in Benghazi.^[12] The battle marked the start of a United Nations-mandated military intervention in the conflict, with fighter jets from the French Air Force attacking and destroying several pro-Gaddafi units, forcing them to retreat.^[13]

On 18 March, Gaddafi's forces bypassed Ajdabiya by using the coastal roads instead of the roads directly linked with Ajdabiya, avoiding the need to capture Ajdabiya to proceed. By night the loyalist troops had positioned themselves within kilometres of Benghazi's two southern entry points, the western southern gate being called the west gate.