A loose coalition of Libyan militias has launched an attack against Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter's forces, who control many of the oil terminals in the country's Oil Crescent region. On Dec. 7, Mustafa al-Sharkasi's Benghazi Defense Brigades — which are closely aligned with the Tripoli-based General National Congress — and groups allied with Government of National Accord (GNA) Defense Minister Mahdi al-Barghathi joined remnants of Ibrahim Jadhran's Petroleum Facilities Guards in attacking Bin Jawad and Nofaliya. The operation failed, however, and the Libyan army quickly dislodged the fighters from the cities, according to reports.
The GNA has already condemned the attacks, even though its defense minister is widely suspected to have been involved in them. (Al-Barghathi's role in the operation has not yet been confirmed.) It is unclear who is leading the offensive, but reports suggest that it has been in the works for about a month. The alliance spearheading it appears to be founded on its members' mutual hatred of Hifter. If al-Barghathi is indeed involved in the campaign, his participation would illustrate the differences of opinion that still exist among GNA officials and their Misratan militia allies.
No reports have emerged of the al-Bunyan al-Marsous militias' involvement in the operation. Much like al-Barghathi, many of these militias view Hifter and Libya's potential militarization as a threat. That said, they are split between factions who want to confront Hifter and those who are more concerned about securing Tripoli and the GNA's grip on power.
Although it is not clear who organized the offensive, it is clear how it played out. According to several reports, the operation made very little headway, which came as little surprise given the reinforcements Hifter has built up over the past six weeks. So far the conflict has not disrupted Libya's oil operations, though nonessential personnel were evacuated from Ras Lanuf and As Sidra. If the fighting continues, however, it may damage energy infrastructure in the area. Since Hifter took control of and reopened several oil terminals in September, Libya's output has risen to about 600,000 barrels per day. Should the region's security environment worsen, production in the country could dip back down to the lows it saw in August, around 250,000 bpd.
