Battle of Misrata
2011 CE.
Shown on the map at 32.377°, 15.092°.
The Battle of Misrata (Arabic: معركة مصراتة), also known as the Siege of Misrata, was a battle of the First Libyan Civil War for the control of Misrata. It was fought between troops loyal to the government of Muammar Gaddafi, and anti-Gaddafi rebels who held Misrata, the third largest city in Libya. Following the initial stages of the uprising, the Libyan government retook most towns in the west of the country, leaving Misrata the only major city under rebel control in Tripolitania. The city soon became the site of one of the war's major battles and the suffering of its citizens gained worldwide attention. The intensity of fighting, along with its strategic and symbolic importance, led to the battle being called 'Libya's Stalingrad'. During the siege, the city saw very heavy fighting, came under daily assaults and shelling, and was at times cut off from its seaport, leaving no escape route for Misrata's inhabitants. Following UN military intervention in the civil war, NATO declared that breaking the encirclement of the city was its top priority. It ranks as one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the entire war.
Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of Misrata (2011), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.