First Libyan Civil War

In February 2011 protests against Gaddafi rule escalated into civil war; a NATO air campaign helped rebels overthrow the dictator in October.

Overview

The Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings inspired a day of rage on 17 February 2011 that was met with lethal fire. Benghazi fell to rebels in late February, and defectors formed a National Transitional Council. Gaddafi forces counterattacked toward Benghazi, prompting UN Security Council resolution 1973 and a NATO-led air campaign from March 2011. A stalemated war of sieges at Misrata, the Nafusa mountains, and the coast ended when Tripoli fell in August. Gaddafi, captured outside Sirte on 20 October 2011, was killed after his capture. The intervention prevented a feared massacre but left Libya fractured among rival militias and governments. The 2012 Benghazi attack and the renewed civil wars made Libya the decade most argued humanitarian intervention case.