- On 16 May, forces loyal to Colonel Haftar attacked the bases of two Islamist militias in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi: Ansar al-Sharia and 17 February Martyrs Brigade
- Haftar commands the "national army"
- Aim of attack to remove Islamist militias from Benghazi
- Ansar al-Sharia aims to impose Sharia law in Libya
- Allied with 17 February Martyrs, who report to the Government
- In Western city of Tripoli, militias allied with the Zintan Brigade also moved in support of Haftar's actions and attached the General National Congress ("GNC")
- Colonel Obaidi, the chief of staff of the Libyan Army, has said the army will support the GNC and branded the move by Haftar as a coup attempt
- Increasing number of former Libyan Islamic Fighting Group ("LIFG") have taken up senior Government security positions
- LIFG as similar ideology to Ansar al-Sharia
- Two groups rumoured to be working with the Muslim Brotherhood to takeover the governance of Libya
- Haftar and his affiliates have called for further forces to support his cause, but us unlikely to have the funding and resources to oust the Islamist militants; in Western Libya, the Sintan Brigade is also unlikely to have the resources to capture Tripoli - most likely outcome is protracted fighting and stalemate
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