THE STORY OF ZAWIYA – 8th June 2011

Eye witness who left Libya Friday 27th May

Zawiya went out on 19th of February for Benghazi ,” With our Soul and Blood we will sacrifice for you
Benghazi” they chanted. We stayed in the main square. The dignitaries of the city began meeting in
the main and oldest mosque in Zawiya called Zaituna Mosque (also known as Al Soug mosque). A
room was designated to food and drink supplies for those taking part in the peaceful sit in the main
square. Then Saif Gaddafi made his infamous speech. There was a screen placed in Zawiya’s main
square, so the City saw it. Gaddafi then made a speech directed specifically to Zawiya’s tribes. He
sent an envoy to Zawiya offering 200,000 dinars to each family if they stopped their support for the
revolution. Zawiya refused. His envoys were told, after what he did in Benghazi, Zawiya would not
change their stance. Gaddafi sent Sabratha’s Khweldi AlHmedi brigade and they entered Zawiya
from Daman street that leads to the main square from the West. On 24 th Feb 3 at 8 am, whilst
protesters were sleeping, 3 Gaddafi vehicles entered one with a machine gun and the other 2 had
soldiers. They started shooting at the protesters in the main square leading to death of 3
protesters. (Video will follow of one of the martyrs). As these 3 vehicles attempted to escape via
coastal road Zawiya protesters managed to kill 4 of these soldiers.

The 3 martyrs were taken to the mosque, then the people of Zawiya headed as one towards the
military camp of Terfas with old shot guns, rocks, Ak47s from police stations. The forces in Terfas
camp were not large in number, so they fled. Protesters managed to get 3 tanks, ammunitions and
weapons. They found the tanks were useless as the turret firing mechanism was disabled
beforehand. The protesters headed back to the main square with the acquired weapons. Then 12
colonels joined the revolt in Zawiya. Then they formed a National Transitional civilian council, a
media council and a military council after they learnt of the formation of the NTC in Benghazi.

Weapons began to be distributed. Freedom Fighters had to swear over the Quran to fight till the
last. The military council formed teams based on area of residence. Some were trained on the more
complex machine guns weaponry, and faulty weapons were fixed.

The attack on the main square, the taking over of Terfas military camp and the organistaion of the
fighters all occurred on the same day of Thursday 24 th Feb 2011.

The next day, Friday 25th Feb 2011, after Friday prayers, Zawiya protesters headed via Jamal Abdel
Nasser St (which cuts through Zawiya heading to Tripoli) to join the protesters in Tripoli without
weapons in the hope of carrying on peacefully, naively thinking it was possible to continue in this
vain. The Khamis brigade began firing on the Zawiya protesters from the traffic lights at the Eastern
entrance of Zawiya as the protesters were on the bridge and around it. Around 50 casualties
between injured and killed were a victim of this live fire on this peaceful protest. The Zawiya
protesters returned to the main square. Everyone realised peaceful protesting was pointless from
that day onwards. The plan was to meet up with protesters with Tajura

Preparations began to face Gaddafi forces. Entrances to the city were blocked using sand dumped by
trucks and old cars and they created check points. Khamis brigade began arriving with tanks and
armoured vehicles. The coastal road from Tripoli to Zawiya was shut, but was open from the other
direction for use by Khamis brigade. From the 27 th Bridge, 2 tanks were placed every 500m heading
towards Zawiya. It would take 4 hours to get from Zawiya to Tripoli those days because of the
checkpoints. TheKhamis brigade surrounded Zawiya from the Western side. They began attempts
to enter Zawiya from the coastal road and from Jamal Abdel Nasser St that was blocked with sand.
The first attempt was at night and Gaddafi forces suffered heavy losses. Some surrendered and were
released as those captured said they were forced to advance, otherwise they would be killed by
snipers from behind them, which proved true. Gaddafi forces realised Zawiya was a tougher
proposition than expected and they would not be able to take the city from one front. So Alkhweldi
AlHmedi brigade from Surman opened a new front from the Eastern side. Zawiya held hope Surman
would rise against AlKhweldi Hmedi to protect their Eastern border. In the end Surman could not
join due to clamp down by Gaddafi forces and Zawiya divided its forces between the Western and
Eastern front. In an infamous incident, the Khamis brigade told forces from Da3m ( Riot police) that
Zawiya was not armed and made the riot police enter with only battons from the Eastern gate of
Zawiya.

Zawiya freedom fighters realised the riot police were not armed, so via microphones they told the
riot police to return or join them. The Riot police realised Zawiya was armed. Khamis Brigade began
firing from behind, so the Zawiya freedom fighers had to retaliate. Around 40 riot police were killed.
Some were treated and some escaped.

Gaddafi forces kept attempting to enter the city unsuccessfully with heavy losses. Gaddafi forces
began shelling using heavy artillery and tanks indiscriminately. Still they could not enter. This lasted
for a week. So Sahban Brigade from Gheryan joined the Khamis Brigade and AlKhweldi Hmedi
Brigade. In the second week, Zawiya’s ammunition began to run out. Zawiya was now surrounded
from East, West and South. The only opening was to the sea northwards. The Sahban brigade was
brought in, in response to the death of the top officer in Khamis Brigade who was killed in an
ambush in Zawiya with his elite battalion and from that moment shelling also intensified.

Some of the people of Rigdaleen and Al Jamel supported Zawiya greatly. Zuwara residents would
buy medicine from Tunisia and send it via some of the people of Rigdaleen and Al Jamel to Zawiya
via fishing boats and cars risking getting caught by Gaddafi forces. And some were caught. The
reason Zuwara gave medicine to people of Rigdaleen and Al Jamel to deliver to Zawiya was because
Zuwara residents were searched thoroughly and were not free in their movement due to their
stance against Gaddafi. There was a severe shortage of medicine in Zawiya so these medicines were
crucial and the solidarity and unity between theses cities was incredible.

Gaddafi forces began shelling the hospital. In the 3rd week, the pressure increased on Zawiya and the
ammunition began to run out. So Zawiya began using Gelatina (rudimentary grenades used for
fishing) to use against tanks.

Some heroic actions by the youth of Zawiya took place. For example, Youth would run to the tanks,
open the top and drop the Gelatina inside the tanks risking life and limb.

Zawiya fighters witnessed soldiers in their tanks tied by chains to their seat to prevent them from
escaping or retreating. In one incident, a tank entered to destroy the mosque, it blew up the Azan
tower. This tank began burning from inside without being attacked by freedom fighters. Everyone
marvelled at this considering it to be divine intervention. One of the tank crew fled the tank whilst
on fire.

One amazing act of courage was that of a youth who was protecting Aljawhara hotel, the new hotel
in Zawiya, where the Freedom fighters ammo was stored. They attacked him ferociously but he
refused to leave his position with his anti aircraft weapon till he was literally blown up by Gaddafi
forces.

By the end of the 3rd week Gaddafi forces had control of Zawiya. All the main streets and main
square was under control of Gaddafi forces. Freedom fighters retreated to 3 areas; Gibl AlSahly,
Welad Saqr and Asban area. As a result, Gaddafi forces began defending the centre of the city they
controlled. The main source of attacks on Gaddafi forces was from Gibl AlSahly area which has high
population density. The Gaddafi forces began to lose control of the centre. 5000 more forces were
brought to the city and snipers were placed on the tops of buildings to reinforce the troops there.
With the support of these extra forces, they began attacking Gibl AlSahly, Welad Saqr and Asban
area. Anything that moved in the centre of the city was shot by Gaddafi forces out of fear. Many
women & children were killed by snipers as a result. Any suspect car would get shot.

At the time Gaddafi claimed Zawiya was under control when in fact it was not. As a result people
who came back to see the city were shot in their cars. Welad Saqr and Asban area were controlled
quickly due to its open nature with low population density and large number of Gaddafi forces. All
that remained free was Gibl Alsahly. The freedom fighters communicated with each other to
congregate in Gibli Alsahly area. The distance of 500m between the areas could take days to cross.
Those who could make it made it and others who could not buried their weapons. Others died
trying. The reason for this congregation was to meet up with Zintan’s freedom fighters. Zintan’s
Freedom fighters came but were thwarted by Sahban Brigage and Muaweya AlSuwe3y brigades.
Muaweya AlSuwe3y brigade is the brigade responsible for shelling Nafusa mountain.

Gaddafi forces began sweeping the Gibli Sahly area. Freedom fighters realised the game was up so
they went to Nafusa mountain to carry on the fight including the famous fighter known as
EpicLibyanman whose last name is AlMaryami. Others hid in farms. 70 freedom fighters in one farm
were ratted out by Pro Gaddafi supporters about a month ago.

Afterwards in Zawiya the houses were raided one by one. Unbelievably they have tapes playing
Gaddafi’s speech Dar Dar, Zenga Zenga, Fard Fard as they raid the houses. Also another mosque
built in 2009 in Welad Alshawish area in Gibli Alsahli was also destroyed.

Khamis Gaddafi himself was based in Al Jawhara hotel and some Freedom fighters leaders who were
ratted out were executed before him. Not a single dead body was allowed to remain in the city
particularly in Iveco cars to Mitiga base.

Gaddafi forces cut the electricity on the hospital whilst people were still under operation, entered
the hospital and killed all the injured in their beds. The injured were pulled out of cars and finished
off by knives. People of Zawiya began treating the injured at home as the hospital was under control
of the army. Also Gaddafi forces used military jet to fire at the hospital and Alharsha area.
ALMAHDY ALARABY

He is one of the top military leaders of Gaddafi forces in the Western coast of Libya and is originally
from Zawiya. His betrayal of the people of his own City will never be forgotten. After 17 th Feb, heads
of the Zawiya asked for his support. He gave his word to join the revolution which gave a moral
boost to others and encouraged other officers to defect and join the revolution. The military council
at AlMahdy Alarby’s request called on those the military service experience to join Surman military
camp which is headed by AlMahdi AlAraby without wearing military gear and bringing your ID. So
the youth prepared on the basis that this force would help liberate Tripoli. The next morning, 20th of
Feb 2011, news came out they AlMahdy AlAraby fled to Bab Alazizia. The youth arrived at the main
square in Zawiya. AlMahdy AlArby was declared to have betrayed the City via microphones from the
mosque.