Brega: Difference between revisions

|elevation_footnotes = <ref>[http{{Cite web|url=https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i|title=Brega - Wolfram&a#124;Alpha|website=*DPClashwww.CityEwolframalpha.Brega-_**MarsaAlBurayqah.Ajdabiya.Libya-- Wolfram Alpha]com}}</ref>

During the [[2011 Libyan Civil War|Libyan Civil War]], the town quickly fell under control of the [[Libyan opposition]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/25/n-africa-mideast-unrest-17-dead-in-western-libyan-city-doctors-say/?hpt=T1 |title=Hundreds flee Libya as Obama orders sanctions |work= This Just In|publisher= Cable News Network|date= February 25, 2011 |quote=Protesters took control of the eastern Libyan city of Brega and its oil terminal Friday, according to an official who works at the communications department for the Port of Brega. |accessdate=March 2, 2011}}</ref> Government forces attempted to capture the town on 2 March but were repelled;<ref name=BBC/><ref>{{cite news |url= http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/03/02/uk-libya-east-retake-idUKTRE7211X820110302 |title=Rebels retake Libya town, may seek foreign role |publisher= Reuters |first=Tom |last=Pfeiffer |work=Reuters UK |date= March 2, 2011|accessdate=March 2, 2011}}</ref> their attack on 13 March was successful, though rebels later recaptured it on 26 March.<ref>http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-26</ref><ref>p://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Video-Libyan-Rebels-Retake-Brega-And-Ajdabiyah-After-Gaddafi-Forces-Flee-Amid-Coalition-Airstrikes/Article/201103415960556?lpos=World_News_Top_Stories_Header_3&lid=ARTICLE_15960556_Video%3A_Libyan_Rebels_Retake_Brega_And_Ajdabiyah_After_Gaddafi_Forces_Flee_Amid_Coalition_Airstrikes_</ref> In April the rebels were again driven out of the Brega area,<ref>http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/2011/04/04/libya-us-nato-gadhafi.html Report from Canadian CBC of oppositions forces regaining New Brega in the beginning of April, specifying the division between the different parts of Brega.</ref> and a several months long stalemate formed. On 11 August 2011, the rebels claimed they had retaken the eastern part of Brega.<ref>[{{Cite web|url=https://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE77A14I20110811 |title=Libyan rebels capture eastern part of Brega -spokesman]|date=August 11, 2011|via=af.reuters.com}}</ref>

In reality, Brega consists of several urban settlements, several kilometres apart, mainly divided between ''Old Brega'' (or "Western Brega") and ''New Brega'' (or "Eastern Brega"). Adjacent to and south-west of the port, equally two kilometres north of the airport, lies "Area 1". Some 6 kilometres to the east, on the other side of the hydro-carbon complex, lies "Area 2". The original settlement of Brega, now partly abandoned, lies some kilometres to the south, to the south of the highway linking western and eastern Libya.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/#lat=30.4315057&lon=19.6593475&z=12&l=53&m=b&v=8|title=Wikimapia - Let's describe the whole world!|website=wikimapia.org}}</ref> 10 kilometres to the north-east of "Area 2" lies "New Brega", a new settlement specifically built as a housing area for oil workers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2011/04/libya-friendly-fire-signs-of-stalemate.html | title=Libya: Friendly Fire, Signs of Stalemate | publisher=newyorker.com | author=John Lee Anderson | date=3 April 2011 | accessdate=2011-07-17}}</ref>

In between "Area 2" and "New Brega" (with lots of sand in between them) lies "Al-Najm University of Technology" ("Bright Star University of Technology"), which was founded in 1981.<ref>http{{Cite web|url=https://www.university-directory.eu/Libya/Bright-Star-University-of-Technology-Brega.html|title=Bright Star University of Technology-Brega (follow up)|website=www.university-directory.eu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/2062806/Bright-Star-University|title=Bright Star University -of-Technology-جامعة-النجم-الساطع Brega|website=wikimapia.org}}</ref>