Battle of Traghan

After the Second Libyan Civil War broke out in 2014, as numerous armed factions started to fight for control of Libya, the different Libyan parties began to hire Chadian and Sudanese mercenaries to fight for them. As a result, armed groups (including insurgents) would cross into Libya, and became increasingly involved in local politics. One of the rebel groups that has become active in Libya is the "Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic" (CCMSR), a Chadian rebel faction which intended to overthrow Idriss Déby, President and de facto dictator of Chad since 1990. == Battle ==

On 27 December 2018, Chadian irregulars launched a surprise attack on a camp of the Khalifa Haftar-loyal Libyan National Army's 10th Infantry Brigade in Traghan. The militants who were described as being well-trained, used 10 cars and one armored vehicle to initially overrun part of the camp, including its headquarters, where they killed the commander of the brigade's Battalion 181, Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Masoud Rahoma. The assistant commander of the LNA garrison, Colonel Juma al-Thabet, was wounded and captured by the irregulars. They left Colonel al-Thabet behind, but managed to retreat with 24 to 34 captured military vehicles. == Aftermath ==

In response to the attack, Traghan's LNA garrison began a security sweep in the area, hoping to find and eliminate the attackers. The LNA soldiers tracked the Chadians, and the LNA launched an offensive to evict rival forces, including Chadian militias, from the area in mid-January. == References ==