Central Libya offensive

Central Libya offensive
	Part of the Second Libyan Civil War
	; Map of the offensive ; Libyan National Army control Government of National Accord control
Date	6–11 June 2020; (5 days)
Location	Sirte, Al Jufra Airbase, Libya
Result	Ceasefire; GNA fails to fully capture Sirte; Russia scrambles MiG-29 and Su-24 fighter jets to Libya to prevent the capture of the city; HoR repels a GNA assault on Sirte; GNA captures several districts on the outskirts of Sirte;
Territorial; changes	Status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
Government of National Accord Libyan Army; Libyan Navy; (GNA–aligned); Libyan Air Force; (GNA–aligned); Syrian National Army Supported by:; Turkey	House of Representatives Libyan National Army; Libyan Navy; (LNA–aligned); Libyan Air Force; (LNA–aligned); Wagner Group Supported by:; Russia; Egypt; United Arab Emirates
Commanders and leaders
Fayez al-Sarraj; (Prime Minister); Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Bayt al-Mal; (Sirte-Jufra operations room commander)	Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar; (LNA supreme commander)
Strength
Unknown	Some MiG-29 and Su-24 fighter jets
Casualties and losses
Unknown; 130 killed; Unknown; 2 Bayraktar TB2 combat drones lost	Unknown killed; 1 Wing Loong I lost

The Central Libya offensive, officially known as Operation Paths to Victory, was a military offensive in Libya launched by the forces of the Government of National Accord, to take the city of Sirte and Al Jufra Airbase from the House of Representatives backed by the Libyan National Army. The city of Sirte is considered strategically important because of its close position to oil facilities, which give it control over Libya's oil and gas shipping ports. The Al Jufra Airbase is strategically important for the GNA, due to its central position to Fezzan and denying the Libyan National Army air superiority over Central Libya.^[18]

The campaign began on 6 June 2020,^[19] one day after the conclusion of the 2019–2020 Western Libya campaign, a failed attempt by the Libyan National Army to capture Tripoli.^[20]

^ Cite error: The named reference aj was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference aa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Egypt Warns Forces Fighting for Libya's Tripoli Government to Stay Out of Sirte. Voice of America. Published 20 June 2020.
^ Sirte-Jufra Operations Room commander: No red lines and we'll liberate all of Libya. Libya Observer. Published 15 June 2020.
^ "Libya's Tripoli-based government and rival parliament take steps to end hostilities". Reuters. 21 August 2020.
^ "Libya: Haftar's forces 'slow down' GNA advance on Sirte". Aljazeera. 11 June 2020.
^ ^a ^b Trevithick, Joseph (10 June 2020). "MiG-29 Fighter Jet Reportedly Appears Over Key Libyan City That Is Now Under Siege". The Drive.
^ ^a ^b Trevithick, Joseph (18 June 2020). "Russian MiG-29 And Su-24 Combat Jets Caught In-Flight At Libyan Base In New Satellite Images". The Drive.
^ "Libyan Air Force destroys mercenary convoy near Egyptian 'red line'". Arab News. 13 August 2020.
^ "LNA target GNA positions near Sirte on August 12". garda.com. 13 August 2020.
^ Topcu, Gulsen (2020-06-08). "Libyan Army liberates two districts in Sirte". Andolou Agency. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
^ After talks with GNA, US delegation draws a ceasefire line beyond Sirte. The Weekly Arab. Published 23 June 2020.
^ Schmitt, Eric (September 11, 2020). "Russian Attack Jets Back Mercenaries Fighting in Libya". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
^ 481 killed since the start of the SNA deployment to Libya,[1] of which 351 died up until the beginning of the Central Libya Offensive (2020),[2] leaving a total of 130 reported killed during the offensive
^ "MiG-29s destroyed a huge Turkish convoy of military and GNA forces (video)". Bulgarian Military. 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
^ "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 343598". 7 June 2020.
^ "Drone Crash Database". Dronewars. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
^ Tastekin, Fehim (20 June 2020). "Why is Sirte everyone's 'red line' in Libya?". Al Monitor. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
^ "Libya's GNA says offensive launched for Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte". Middle East Eye. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
^ al-Sahili, Ayman (2020-06-04). "Eastern forces quit Libyan capital after year-long assault". Reuters. Retrieved 2020-06-04.

[aj-1] Cite error: The named reference aj was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[aa-2] Cite error: The named reference aa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[voa-3] Egypt Warns Forces Fighting for Libya's Tripoli Government to Stay Out of Sirte. Voice of America. Published 20 June 2020.

[ly-4] Sirte-Jufra Operations Room commander: No red lines and we'll liberate all of Libya. Libya Observer. Published 15 June 2020.

[5] "Libya's Tripoli-based government and rival parliament take steps to end hostilities". Reuters. 21 August 2020.

[6] "Libya: Haftar's forces 'slow down' GNA advance on Sirte". Aljazeera. 11 June 2020.

[auto2-7] Trevithick, Joseph (10 June 2020). "MiG-29 Fighter Jet Reportedly Appears Over Key Libyan City That Is Now Under Siege". The Drive.

[auto1-8] Trevithick, Joseph (18 June 2020). "Russian MiG-29 And Su-24 Combat Jets Caught In-Flight At Libyan Base In New Satellite Images". The Drive.

[auto3-9] "Libyan Air Force destroys mercenary convoy near Egyptian 'red line'". Arab News. 13 August 2020.

[auto-10] "LNA target GNA positions near Sirte on August 12". garda.com. 13 August 2020.

[aa2-11] Topcu, Gulsen (2020-06-08). "Libyan Army liberates two districts in Sirte". Andolou Agency. Retrieved 2023-04-10.

[12] After talks with GNA, US delegation draws a ceasefire line beyond Sirte. The Weekly Arab. Published 23 June 2020.

[13] Schmitt, Eric (September 11, 2020). "Russian Attack Jets Back Mercenaries Fighting in Libya". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.

[14] 481 killed since the start of the SNA deployment to Libya,[1] of which 351 died up until the beginning of the Central Libya Offensive (2020),[2] leaving a total of 130 reported killed during the offensive

[StrikeMigs-15] "MiG-29s destroyed a huge Turkish convoy of military and GNA forces (video)". Bulgarian Military. 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.

[16] "ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 343598". 7 June 2020.

[dronewarsuk-17] "Drone Crash Database". Dronewars. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.

[18] Tastekin, Fehim (20 June 2020). "Why is Sirte everyone's 'red line' in Libya?". Al Monitor. Retrieved 22 June 2020.

[middleeasteye_2020-06-06-19] "Libya's GNA says offensive launched for Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte". Middle East Eye. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.

[reuters-20] -Sahili, Ayman (2020-06-04). "Eastern forces quit Libyan capital after year-long assault". Reuters. Retrieved 2020-06-04.

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