CASUALTY RECORD // March 10, 2011
First Battle of Zawiya
Estimated casualties — killed, wounded, captured, and missing — by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Casualties by side
1 sides catalogued · combined 247–300 estimated
Conseil national de transition
247–300
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The First Battle of Zawiya was fought between forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and anti-Gaddafi forces for control of the city of Zawia during the early phase of the Libyan Civil War. Gaddafi's forces, numbering approximately 3,000, faced roughly 2,000 opposition fighters under Hussein Darbouk. Anti-Gaddafi casualties reached between 247 and 300. The battle was significant as part of the broader contest for cities in western Libya, where proximity to Tripoli made Zawia strategically important to both sides. Gaddafi's military command — represented by multiple senior commanders including Khamis Gaddafi, Khouildi Hamidi, and others — committed substantial forces to retake the city, signaling the regime's intent to suppress opposition in its western approaches before it could consolidate.
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