Battle of Misrata (2011) 2011
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 23 February 2011 – 15 May 2011 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2011 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
| Era | Post-1945 (1946 onwards) | derived from year |
| Location | Libya | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Africa | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Libyan Civil War | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 32.3775, 15.0920 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Misrata (Arabic: معركة مصراتة), also known as the Siege of Misrata, was a battle of the First Libyan Civil War for the control of Misrata. It was fought between troops loyal to the government of Muammar Gaddafi, and anti-Gaddafi rebels who held Misrata, the third largest city in Libya. Following the initial stages of the uprising, the Libyan government retook most towns in the west of the country, leaving Misrata the only major city under rebel control in Tripolitania. The city soon became the site of one of the war's major battles and the suffering of its citizens gained worldwide attention.
The intensity of fighting, along with its strategic and symbolic importance, led to the battle being called 'Libya's Stalingrad'. During the siege, the city saw very heavy fighting, came under daily assaults and shelling, and was at times cut off from its seaport, leaving no escape route for Misrata's inhabitants. Following UN military intervention in the civil war, NATO declared that breaking the encirclement of the city was its top priority. It ranks as one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the entire war. In late April and early May, rebel counterattacks successfully retook the city, culminating in the fall of the airport and the nearby military airbase on 11 May.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Misrata (2011) (revision 1374514174), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the Libyan Civil War
- Battle of Ajdabiya 2011
- Battle of Bani Walid 2011
- Battle of Bin Jawad 2011
- Battle of Ras Lanuf 2011
- Battle of Sirte (2011) 2011
- Battle of Tripoli (2011) 2011
- First Battle of Benghazi 2011
- First Battle of Brega 2011
- First Battle of Zawiya 2011
- First Gulf of Sidra offensive 2011
All 22 battles of the Libyan Civil War →
Browse more: battles in Libya · Africa · Post-1945 battles