4 hours of fire and chaos: How the Benghazi attack unfoldedBy Sarah Aarthun, CNNUpdated 9:49 AM ET, Thu September 13, 2012Just WatchedWatch how consulate attack unfoldedreplayMore Videos ...Watch how consulate attack unfolded 02:09Story highlightsThe attack began after protesters began massing outside the consulateA small group of militants opened fire on the complex and gained entryThe militants set fire to the main building with the U.S. ambassador still insideControl was regained more than four hours laterInside a safe room of the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Ambassador Chris Stevens took cover with two other foreign service officers.Just minutes earlier, a group of heavily armed militants launched an attack on the complex, pelting it with gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades.The attackers ignited a fire in the building and the safe room was filling with smoke.Six things to know about the attackStevens, Foreign Service information management officer Sean Smith and a U.S. regional security officer would soon be forced to leave their temporary refuge from the assault.Senior administration officials called the conditions inside "awful," describing "incredibly thick smoke and fire."The officials, while still trying to piece together the details of how the Tuesday night consulate attack unfolded, began Wednesday to give a clearer picture of events.The violence began around 10 p.m. Tuesday amid a protest by the radical Islamist group Ansar Al-Sharia against a film mocking Islam's prophet.Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosPhotos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Attackers set the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, on fire on September 11, 2012. The U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other U.S. nationals were killed during the attack. The Obama administration initially thought the attack was carried out by an angry mob responding to a video, made in the United States, that mocked Islam and the Prophet Mohammed. But the storming of the mission was later determined to have been a terrorist attack.Hide Caption 1 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Obama and Clinton stand at Andrews Air Force Base as the bodies of the four Americans killed are returned on September 14.Hide Caption 2 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A desk sits inside the burnt U.S. mission on September 13, two days after the attack.Hide Caption 3 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Damage is seen inside the U.S. mission on September 13.Hide Caption 4 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A lounge chair and umbrella float in the swimming pool of the U.S. mission on September 13.Hide Caption 5 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Demonstrators gather in Libya on September 12 to condemn the killers and voice support for the victims.Hide Caption 6 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – U.S. President Barack Obama, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on September 12, makes a statement at the White House about Stevens' death.Hide Caption 7 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A burnt vehicle is seen at the U.S. mission in Benghazi on September 12. Hide Caption 8 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – People inspect the damage on September 12.Hide Caption 9 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A small American flag is seen in the rubble on September 12.Hide Caption 10 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A man stands in part of a burned-out building of the U.S. mission on September 12. Hide Caption 11 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Smoke and fire damage is evident inside a building on September 12.Hide Caption 12 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Half-burnt debris and ash cover the floor of one of the U.S. mission buildings on September 12.Hide Caption 13 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – The U.S. mission is seen in flames on September 11, the day of the attack.Hide Caption 14 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A protester reacts as the U.S. mission burns on September 11. Hide Caption 15 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A vehicle and the surrounding area are engulfed in flames on September 11.Hide Caption 16 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Flames erupt outside of a building on September 11.Hide Caption 17 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A vehicle burns during the attack on the U.S. mission on September 11.Hide Caption 18 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Onlookers record the damage from the attack on September 11.Hide Caption 19 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – Onlookers walk past a burning truck and building on September 11.Hide Caption 20 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – A vehicle sits smoldering in flames on September 11.Hide Caption 21 of 22Photos: Attack on U.S. mission in Benghazi 22 photosAttack on U.S. mission in Benghazi – People duck flames outside a building on September 11.Hide Caption 22 of 22EXPAND GALLERYJust WatchedLibyan attacks on 9/11 no coincidencereplayMore Videos ...Libyan attacks on 9/11 no coincidence 02:41PLAY VIDEOJust WatchedUS consulate attack in Libya replayMore Videos ...US consulate attack in Libya 00:59PLAY VIDEOJust WatchedU.S. troops to protect embassy in LibyareplayMore Videos ...U.S. troops to protect embassy in Libya 01:42PLAY VIDEOJust WatchedObama: 'Justice will be done'replayMore Videos ...Obama: 'Justice will be done' 01:35PLAY VIDEOFour hours later, the consulate was destroyed, its walls blackened by shooting flames. Four Americans, including Stevens and Smith, were dead.Within 15 minutes of the first gunshots, the attackers were able to enter the main compound of the consulate complex and set it ablaze.Stevens, Smith and a regional security officer were the only people inside the building at the time.Photos taken Tuesday night show flames shooting from every orifice of the building as militants wielding weapons walk through the compound. The heavy, black smoke added to the confusion of the situation and the three diplomatic officers became separated as they evacuated the safe room, the administration officials said.Blog: Pentagon reviews attack videoMeanwhile, American and Libyan security personnel, forced to fend off an attack on the outside and the raging fire within, were grappling with how to handle the increasingly complicated scene, U.S. officials said.The regional security officer with Stevens and Smith managed to escape the building and returned with others to try to rescue the men. For Smith, the rescue came too late. He had already succumbed to smoke inhalation by the time they arrived. Stevens, in Benghazi on a short trip from the capital Tripoli, was missing, apparently able to make his way out unnoticed in the chaos.About 45 minutes after the first gunshots rang out, security personnel attempted to retake the main compound, but were repelled by heavy gunfire and retreated to an annex in the complex. Libya, West react to killings, film controversyThey made a second attempt at 11:20 p.m. -- more than an hour after the attack began -- and successfully regained control of the main building. But the incident was far from over. The gunbattle continued and the attack moved from the main compound to the complex's annex."It was during that time that two additional U.S. personnel were killed and two others were wounded," one of the senior administration officials said.Finally, around 2:30 a.m., four and a half hours into the attack, U.S. security personnel, assisted by Libyan forces, took back control of the entire consulate complex.Still unknown at that time, however, was Stevens' whereabouts. Stevens warned in '08 about extremists near BenghaziLibyans said bystanders had helped carry an unconscious Stevens to a hospital. However, U.S. officials could not confirm that account."We are not clear on the circumstances between the time he got separated from the rest of the group inside the burning building to the time we were notified that he was in a Benghazi hospital," the senior administration official said. "We were not able to see him until his body was returned to us at the airport."Also unclear Wednesday was the significance of the timing of the attack, which fell on the 11th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington and coincided with a violent protest at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. State Department officials said the two incidents at the diplomatic missions were not related and said they believe the Benghazi violence was a "clearly planned attack."Why Muslims are sensitive on prophet"It was not an innocent mob," one senior official said. "The video or 9/11 made a handy excuse and could be fortuitous from their perspective but this was a clearly planned military-type attack." U.S. President Barack Obama, however, said it was too early to say whether the attack was pre-planned.As dawn broke Wednesday, the magnitude of the previous night's events were felt by both Americans and Libyans. Charred debris and ash littered the floor of the burned-out consulate. A small American flag lay amid the rubble. And both the governments of the United States and Libya, on this "very, very difficult day," mourned the loss of Stevens, who had helped save Benghazi during last year's revolution."He risked his life to stop a tyrant, then gave his life trying to help build a better Libya," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.Witnessing protests in Libya or Egypt? Share your photos on CNN iReport.Attacks on U.S. missionsPhone call links attack to al Qaeda commanderShortly after the attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi last September, a phone call was placed from the area.Panetta, Dempsey defend U.S. response A testy exchange erupted between Sen. John McCain and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey during the latter's testimony about September's deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.Five things from the Benghazi hearingsSecretary of State Hillary Clinton took on Republican congressional critics of her department's handling of the deadly September terrorist attack in Libya.Official timeline of Benghazi attackThe Pentagon released an hour-by-hour timeline of the September 11 assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.Benghazi tries to escape its ghostsBilal Bettamer wants to save Benghazi from those he calls "extremely dangerous people." But his campaign against the criminal and extremist groups that plague the city has put his life at risk.Ex-SEALs died coming to aid of othersTwo former Navy SEALs who died last week in an attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya died after rushing to help their colleagues.Why film upset so many MuslimsThe former Pakistani Ambassador to the UK, Akbar Ahmed, explains why an anti-Islam film has triggered massive protests. Arab Spring nations 'don't get dissent'The fall of dictatorships does not guarantee the creation of free societies, says Ed Husain, author of "The Islamist."Photos: Anti-U.S. protests worldwideProtests have swept the world following the online release of a film that depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a womanizer, child molester and killer.French mag runs Mohammed cartoonsA satirical magazine pours further oil on the fiery debate between freedom of expression and offensive provocation. Dispute over how attack beganWas the attack on the Libyan U.S. Consulate the result of a mob gone awry, a planned terror attack or a combination of the two?Zakaria: Images don't tell whole storyThe images of the American embassy burning in Benghazi might have conjured up memories of Tehran in 1979 but the analogy is false.Arrests in U.S. Consulate attackLibyan authorities have made more arrests in connection with the attack on the U.S. consulate that left four Americans dead.U.S. ambassador's last momentsThree days before the deadly attack in Benghazi, a local security official says he warned U.S. diplomats about deteriorating security.CNN ArabicFor the latest news on developments in the Middle East and North Africa in Arabic.More from africaSoldiers from Cameroon, Chad take on Boko Haram at Nigerian borderPolice: At least 15 dead in attack on high-profile Mogadishu hotel#AskNneka: Submit your questions for Nigerian soul sensation NnekaPowered by Livefyre
Phone call links attack to al Qaeda commanderShortly after the attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi last September, a phone call was placed from the area.
Panetta, Dempsey defend U.S. response A testy exchange erupted between Sen. John McCain and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey during the latter's testimony about September's deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
Five things from the Benghazi hearingsSecretary of State Hillary Clinton took on Republican congressional critics of her department's handling of the deadly September terrorist attack in Libya.
Official timeline of Benghazi attackThe Pentagon released an hour-by-hour timeline of the September 11 assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Benghazi tries to escape its ghostsBilal Bettamer wants to save Benghazi from those he calls "extremely dangerous people." But his campaign against the criminal and extremist groups that plague the city has put his life at risk.
Ex-SEALs died coming to aid of othersTwo former Navy SEALs who died last week in an attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya died after rushing to help their colleagues.
Why film upset so many MuslimsThe former Pakistani Ambassador to the UK, Akbar Ahmed, explains why an anti-Islam film has triggered massive protests.
Arab Spring nations 'don't get dissent'The fall of dictatorships does not guarantee the creation of free societies, says Ed Husain, author of "The Islamist."
Photos: Anti-U.S. protests worldwideProtests have swept the world following the online release of a film that depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a womanizer, child molester and killer.
French mag runs Mohammed cartoonsA satirical magazine pours further oil on the fiery debate between freedom of expression and offensive provocation.
Dispute over how attack beganWas the attack on the Libyan U.S. Consulate the result of a mob gone awry, a planned terror attack or a combination of the two?
Zakaria: Images don't tell whole storyThe images of the American embassy burning in Benghazi might have conjured up memories of Tehran in 1979 but the analogy is false.
Arrests in U.S. Consulate attackLibyan authorities have made more arrests in connection with the attack on the U.S. consulate that left four Americans dead.
U.S. ambassador's last momentsThree days before the deadly attack in Benghazi, a local security official says he warned U.S. diplomats about deteriorating security.