Katiba al-Bittar al-Libi

Katiba al-Bittar al-Libi is an armed Islamist group operating in Iraq, Syria and Libya. The group is composed largely of Libyan fighters who entered Syria in the wake of the Arab Spring and early post-civil uprising stage of the Syrian Civil War. Though the group is composed largely of Libyans, the group also has large amounts of Tunisians and Francophone Maghrebis from Europe, reportedly the perpetrators of the November 2015 Paris attacks and Manchester Arena bombing, including Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who was suspected to be a leader of the group, were members of the group or affiliated with it, the group also pioneered the Inghimasi tactic used in the attack, and its fighters have largely employed the tactic on the battlefield.[4] The group maintained close ties to Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia through networks in Libya and has established multiple training camps across Libya and has recruited Tunisians to these camps, which were located around Sirte and Tripoli. During beginning of the infighting between ISIL and its former allies such as Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham fighters from Katiba al-Bittar took part in open fighting against ISIL's opponents in Markada and Atarib, in the process losing several fighters.

Katiba al-Bittar al-Libi
Participant in the Syrian Civil War
Active2012-Present
IdeologyIslamism
  • Salafi Jihadism
Group(s)Islamic Youth Shura Council
LeadersAbdelhamid Abaaoud [1]
Abu Dujana Al-Libi 
HeadquartersDerna, Libya (2014-2016)
Area of operationsSyria, Iraq, and Libya
Size350-1400
Part of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Since 2014)
Allies Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia
Green Battalion
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Joined in June 2014)
Al-Nusra Front (Until 2014)
Opponent(s) Syria
 Iraq
 Libya
 EU
Hezbollah
Free Syrian Army
Authenticity and Development Front
Islamic Front
Al-Nusra Front (Since 2014)
Battles and war(s)Syrian Civil War

Libyan Civil War (2014–present)

  • Derna campaign (2014–16)

Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017) International military intervention against ISIL

  • Islamic terrorism in Europe (2014–present)[3]

In June 2014 after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared that ISIL had restored the Caliphate in Mosul the group pledged allegiance to ISIL.[5]

In 2014, the group reportedly sent a delegation from al-Raqqah to Libya and established the Islamic Youth Shura Council in the city of Derna, which would later go on to become ISIL's Cyrenaica Province.

References

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