The Maaten al-Sarra Air Base is an airbase in southernmost Libya located near the Ma'tan as-Sarra oasis in the Kufra district. It is one of the 13 military airbases in Libya.[5]
Maaten al-Sarra Air Base[1]  | |||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||
| Owner | Libyan National Army | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Libyan Air Force | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,722 ft / 525 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 21°41′20″N 021°49′50″E / 21.68889°N 21.83056°E | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  Maaten al-Sarra Air Force Base Location in Libya | |||||||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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During the final phase of the Chadian-Libyan conflict, Maaten al-Sarra was the main air base in Southern Libya,[6] having three modern runways and parking space for over 100 combat aircraft.[7]
History
editWhen in 1987 the Chadian army attacked Libyan positions in northern Chad, in the Toyota War, after a string of victories the Chadians were defeated in August in the Battle of Aouzou, mainly due to Libyan airpower. The Chadian command decided that before renewing the offensive against the Aouzou Strip, it was vital to deal with the threat represented by the Libyan Air Force, and thus planned a surprise attack on Maaten al-Sarra, 60 miles north of the Chadian–Libyan border. The attack, which took place on 5 September, was one of the most significant Chadian victories in the conflict, with 1,700 Libyans killed and 300 taken prisoner.[8] The Chadian victory, because of Libyan demoralization at home and international hostility, brought an agreed ceasefire on 11 September that put an end to the war.[9]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Matan as Sarra". World Aero Data. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
- ^ "Maatan As Sara Airport". Bing Maps. Microsoft. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ "Matan al-Sarra Air Base". Our Airports. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ Airport information for Matan As Sarra at Great Circle Mapper.
- ^ Middle East Military Balance: Libya Archived 14 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Vanderwalle, Dirk J. (2006). A History of Modern Libya. Cambridge University Press. p. 148. ISBN 0-5218-5048-7.
- ^ Popper, Steven W. (1989). The Economic Cost of Soviet Military Manpower Requirements. RAND. p. 145. ISBN 0-8330-0934-6.
- ^ Pollack, Kenneth M. (2002). Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness, 1948–1991. University of Nebraska Press. p. 396. ISBN 0-8032-3733-2.
- ^ Nolutshungu, Sam C. (1995). Limits of Anarchy: Intervention and State Formation in Chad. University of Virginia Press. pp. 222–223. ISBN 0-8139-1628-3.222-223&rft.pub=University of Virginia Press&rft.date=1995&rft.isbn=0-8139-1628-3&rft.au=Nolutshungu, Sam C.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Maaten al-Sarra Air Base" class="Z3988">
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