2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive The 2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive was a major rebel offensive of the Libyan Civil War . It was mounted by anti - Gaddafi forces with the intention of cutting off the supply route from Tunisia for pro - Gaddafi loyalist forces in Tripoli . Background . The offensive was launched by opposition forces based in the Nafusa Mountains who had managed to make a breakthrough in loyalist lines around the mountains just a few days before . Loyalists and rebels had been fighting for the mountain chain for over five months , often in back - and - forth battles . However , due to an intense NATO bombing campaign of loyalist forces , pro - Gaddafi troops had to pull back from the mountains . This gave a chance for the rebels to go on the offensive toward the coast west of Tripoli . Offensive . The offensive started on 13 August 2011 with rebels advancing toward the oil refinery town of Zawiya supported by NATO air - strikes . The town revolted against Gaddafi governmental control in late February but the revolt was crushed by pro - Gaddafi forces in early March . There was a rebel raid against the city in June that was defeated by government troops . Holding Zawiya was a priority for the pro - Gaddafi forces , as the city lies on their coastal supply route and is a vital control city on the route from Tripoli to Tunisia . It is home to an important oil refinery , the only one in loyalist hands prior to the battle . During the attack , the rebels first advanced to a bridge on the southwestern outskirts before being hit by loyalist artillery fire . One group of rebels fought through loyalist defensive lines in the western sector of the town , overrunning it , and pushed into the city center . At the same time rebels entering the city were cheered by some residents , who came out of their homes to greet them shouting " God is great " . Some joined the rebels as fighters . After the rebels reached the main square loyalist forces from the eastern part of Zawiya counter - attacked with a barrage of heavy weapons . By the evening , the Libyan government stated that a rebel force entered the city on a " suicide mission " but failed to take control of the town and that Zawiya was " totally " under government control . A rebel commander stated that opposition forces were almost south of the city center on the western side of the main road , while loyalist troops were on the east side . During the night , reports surfaced of a rebel attempt at taking the border crossing of Ras Ajdir . Tunisian border guards stated that the loyalists brought up heavy weapons , including tanks , to defend it . By the next day it was reported that the rebel attack had been unsuccessful . On 14 August , fighting was still ongoing and the rebels had not taken the center of Zawiya . A rebel commander stated that they controlled the western and southern gate of Zawiya , after managing to push into the city , while government forces were controlling the east and the center of the town . Later during the day , Al Jazeera English stated that the rebels had taken control of a key highway running through Zawiya , the one that links Tunisia to Tripoli . The same day rebels claimed that they captured the neighboring city of Sorman , just west of Zawiya , and that they suffered ten dead and 34 wounded in fighting there . Clashes were also claimed to be occurring in nearby Sabratha . Later , a rebel spokesman also announced the capture of Ajaylat . On 15 August , loyalist forces pushed back the rebels from the city center of Zawiya in a concentrated effort to block the rebel advance . However , by the evening , rebels claimed to hold 80 percent of Zawiya . They also arrested 15 people they said were African mercenaries and Libyan Army soldiers , though at least one alleged mercenary claimed he was an innocent Nigerian guest worker . Some fighters said they expected it would take some time to clear all the snipers from tall buildings inside the city . Some shelling continued , though rebel soldiers said fighting was getting closer to the loyalist - held oil facility . Al Jazeera reported the fall of Sabratha to rebel forces , with the exception of an army base west of the city , which had been besieged . As of 15 August , rebel forces stated that they were negotiating surrender terms with the remaining loyalist forces in Sabratha . On 16 August , government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim claimed that loyalist forces had retaken Sorman , confirming accounts that Sorman had earlier been captured by rebel forces . He also claimed that Gaddafi governmental forces were in full control of Zawiya , and that " they will soon retake Gharyan " . NATO Colonel Roland Lavoie said on 16 August that " there is still some fighting reported " in the suburbs of Sorman , though he did not say who NATO believed was in control of the city proper . An eyewitness report by journalist Ann Marlowe confirmed that Sorman had been taken several days earlier , and confirmed that Sabratha had been taken by rebels on 15 August , after loyalist forces fled . However , the very next day , heavy fighting was reported to be still ongoing in Sabratha . On 18 August , rebels declared that after a four - day battle they had secured the city of Sabratha and defeated loyalist forces and were in control of 90 percent of the city , including the centre , after having overrun it with at least 200 fighters . The loyalists were defeated after NATO bombed a loyalist military base in the city allowing the rebels to storm the base and seize weapons left behind by Gaddafi ' s men . This victory was confirmed by a team of Reuters reporters , who witnessed the rebel fighters in control of the city center . A rebel commander claimed that Zuwara was in rebel hands on 18 August , according to the AP news agency . On 19 August , a " Guardian " reporter confirmed the end of fighting in Sabratha ; according to him , the fighting there lasted three days , ending on 16 August . He also confirmed that the ancient Roman amphitheater ruins survived the fighting . Rebel fighters also told The Guardian that they are planning to move towards Zuwara . On 22 August , rebels claimed the capture of Zuwara and the Ras Ajdir border crossing . On 23 August , a Tagesschau correspondent confirmed that city of ' Aziziya was under rebel control . On 24 August , loyalist forces attempted to retake the rebel - held city of Ajaylat , mounting an attack with tanks and missiles . They also shelled the rebel - held city of Zuwara . On 27 August , a ship carrying ammunition for the Libyan rebels fighting for control of the coastal road , west of Tripoli to the Tunisian border , blew up on Saturday at the port of Zuwara . On 28 August , an Al Jazeera English correspondent reported that a region near Ajaylat was controlled by a " small pocket " of pro - Gaddafi forces , but that supply lines safely bypassed the town . Rebel advance on Tripoli . On 20 August rebels stated that the end of Gaddafi was " very near " . The same day rebels within Tripoli started the battle of Tripoli ; the main rebel forces were still outside of Tripoli . On 21 August , rebel forces pushed towards Tripoli from two fronts in order to help a local uprising in the city itself . From Zawiya they advanced to village Al Maya , east from Zawiya while other units were preparing to attack ' Aziziya , the last major city between rebel - controlled Gharyan and Tripoli . After taking the village of Joudaim , east of Zawiya , and advancing to the village of Al Maya , the rebels were stopped by loyalist forces who pounded them with artillery , rocket and anti - aircraft fire . The rebels captured a military barracks , which housed the elite Khamis Brigade , west of Tripoli , as well as weapons and ammo left behind by retreating loyalists . By the night of 21 August , rebels had pushed into Tripoli , meeting little resistance from government forces . Martyrs ' Square was taken that night , while cheering residents filled the streets . NATO strikes . According to NATO ' s daily " Operational Media Updates " , the NATO strikes , during the offensive , hit : Influences on other fronts . On 15 August , following rebel successes in the battlefield , the Libyan Interior minister Nassr al - Mabrouk Abdullah defected to Egypt with nine members of his family , although airport officials said he was just visiting as a tourist . The Gaddafi government claimed to have no knowledge of his leaving the country . On 15 August , apparently in response to rebel battlefield successes , a Scud missile was fired from the Gaddafi stronghold of Sirte at rebel - controlled territory . It is believed that the missile was intended to hit rebel troop formations around Brega ; instead , it overshot the target by and landed harmlessly in the desert . On 18 August , US officials reported that Muammar Gaddafi was making preparations to flee to exile in Tunisia with his family . On 19 August , rebels stated that Abdel Sallam Jalloud , who was once Gaddafi ' s closest adviser , had defected to them , displaying pictures of him in the rebel - held city of Zintan as proof . The next day , Tunisian officials reported that Jalloud had actually fled to Italy , via Tunisia . On 20 August , Tunisian sources stated that Libyan oil minister Omran Abukraa had defected to Tunisia .