444th Brigade and Oil Facilities Guard Conflict in Libya’s Southwest

Armed confrontations erupted Saturday between two Libyan safety forces within the Hamada Al Hamra area, highlighting rising tensions over territorial management and anti-smuggling operations within the nation’s oil-rich southwest.

The battle entails the 444th Combat Brigade, led by Commander Mahmoud Hamza, and the Oil Facilities Guard’s Southwest Branch, which operates below the Western Military Region’s authority.

The conflict escalated after the Oil Facilities Guard detained a 19-vehicle desert patrol belonging to the 444th Combat Brigade on Thursday evening, in accordance with navy sources talking to Libyan Express.

Prior to the incident, the Oil Facilities Guard had issued warnings to the 444th Combat Brigade towards getting into areas below their jurisdiction, notably these containing oil installations.

The 444th Combat Brigade maintains they had been pursuing drug traffickers trying to smuggle hallucinogenic tablets from Algeria into Libya.

In a press release posted on their official Facebook web page, the brigade denied any intention to grab oil amenities, stating, “The oil fields are not a target for the brigade.”

This marks the second such confrontation between the 2 forces. In late October, the Oil Facilities Guard detained one other 444th Combat Brigade patrol, ultimately releasing the personnel however confiscating their autos and weapons.

The Guard warned that they might bear accountability for any authorized penalties arising from getting into the oil area.

The 444th Combat Brigade emphasised that their operations focus solely on combating smuggling networks, citing a number of profitable interdictions in current months.

”The brigade won’t ever be current within the oil fields, even when their safety is vacant, and its operations is not going to goal any oil facility or oil area,” the assertion added.

The Hamada Al Hamra, also referred to as the Red Desert, is an unlimited plateau area in southwestern Libya that performs an important position within the nation’s safety and financial panorama:

– It spans roughly 100,000 sq. kilometres of largely uninhabited desert terrain.
– The area serves as a vital hall connecting Libya to Algeria and Niger.
– Several main oil and fuel fields lie inside or close to its boundaries.
– Its distant nature and sophisticated topography make it a most well-liked route for smuggling operations.
– The space’s strategic significance has elevated since 2011 attributable to cross-border safety challenges.
– Traditional tribal communities within the area have traditionally performed a job in native safety preparations.