February 17th Martyrs Brigade

February 17th Martyrs Brigade
كتيبة شهداء 17 فبراير
Participant in the Libyan Civil War, Post-civil war violence in Libya, and the Second Libyan Civil War

Logo of the February 17th Martyrs Brigade
Ideology Islamism
Strength 1,500–3,500
Part of Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries
Allies Ansar al-Sharia
Battles and wars Libyan Civil War
2012 Benghazi attack
Post–civil war violence in Libya
Second Libyan Civil War

The February 17th Martyrs Brigade is an Islamist militia active in Libya. It is considered to be the largest and best armed militia in eastern Libya. The brigade is financed by the Libyan defense ministry.[1] The brigade consists of at least 12 battalions and possesses a large collection of light and heavy weapons in addition to training facilities. Its membership is estimated at between 1,500 and 3,500. The group has carried out various security and law and order tasks in eastern Libya and Kufra in the south.[1]

This brigade was called on for assistance by the US government during the 2012 Benghazi attack.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Guide to key Libyan militias". BBC News. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  2. 13 Hours (book).
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 7/3/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.