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'''Brega''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|r|eɪ|ɡ|ə}}, also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ({{lang-ar|مرسى البريقة}} {{transl|ar|''Marsā al Burayqah''}}, i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in [[Libya]] on the [[Gulf of Sidra]], the most southerly point of the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. It is located in the former [[Ajdabiya District]], which in 2007 was merged into the [[Al Wahat District]]. The town is the center of Libya's second-largest hydro-carbon complex.<ref name="1310news"/>
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>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110326105831/http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-26 ]
== Geography ==
The assigned settlement near the refinery and oil terminal is known as Brega. The town was built in pre-fabricated concrete parts and designed by Greek architect and urban planner [[Konstantinos Apostolos Doxiadis]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.doxiadis.org/document.asp?doc_id=9524 |title=Constantinos A. Doxiadis Archives |year=2011 |accessdate=March 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726003239/http://archive.doxiadis.org/document.asp?doc_id=9524
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>
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During the [[2011 Libyan Civil War|Libyan Civil War]], Brega found itself in the middle of numerous clashes between rebel and loyalist forces, as the front line shifted rapidly in each direction. By the middle of April, the town had changed hands six times in less than two months.
Early on in the uprising, anti-government forces gained control of the town and oil production facilities. Government forces attempted to regain control of the area on 2 March, but were [[First Battle of Brega|repulsed by the rebels]].<ref name=BBC>{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12626496 |title= Rebels fight off Gaddafi attack|work=BBC News|date= March 2, 2011 |accessdate=March 2, 2011}}</ref> On 15 March, government forces [[Second Battle of Brega|retook Brega]] during their initial counter-offensive, as the disorganised rebel forces were crushed by the Loyalist's heavy weapons and air power.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12726032 |title=Libya: Gaddafi troops 'force rebels out of Brega' |date=March 13, 2011| work=BBC News}}</ref> On 26 March, after the [[UN]] imposed a no-fly zone which removed the threat of Loyalist air attacks, rebels advanced rapidly, [[Late March 2011 Libyan rebel offensive|taking Brega back]] from Gaddafi's forces<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110326105831/http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-26 ]
On 16 July 2011, it was reported that the rebels appeared to have taken Brega.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/9695160-brega-is-liberated |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719071304/http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/9695160-brega-is-liberated |archive-date=2011-07-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, Reuters later reported ten rebels were killed and 172 wounded, and confirmed that the battle was still ongoing.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/07/16/uk-libya-idUKTRE76C1H420110716 | work=Reuters | title=Heavy casualties reported in Libya fighting | date=16 July 2011}}</ref> Rebel radio reports said that after three days of heavy fighting, aided by substantial NATO bombing, rebel units had bypassed the town – cutting off the garrison from its supply lines.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/16/libyan-rebels-libya-contact-group-brega | location=London | work=The Guardian | first1=Chris | last1=Stephen | first2=David | last2=Smith | title=Libyan rebels win official recognition as their forces close in on Brega | date=16 July 2011}}</ref> Libya's opposition National Transitional Council (NTC) said on 16 July that they were preparing to enter the oil refinery town of Brega "within days", even as they suffered heavy casualties in the offensive.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110720032346/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-07/17/c_13990357.htm ]
According to the local council, the eastern part of the town of Brega was controlled by the AGF by 11 August, and by 17 August all three zones of Brega (residential, oil refinery, administrative) were under the control of the AGF. The UN Inter-Agency mission to Brega on 8 September accessed the residential (Old Brega) zone and visited the heavily damaged Al-Najm University of Technology. Population slowly started to return, although most of the inhabitants remained for a while living outside of Brega (i.e. in Ajdabiya) and commuting daily to check on their property and houses.
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