[8] As a result, the city was regarded as a stronghold of pro-Gaddafi sentiment as the anti-regime protests that began across Libya in February 2011 turned into civil war.

[6] As the conflict progressed, however, many of the migrants went north to fight against the rebels, draining Gaddafi's major base of support in the city.

[10][11] Gaddafi's men were reinforced by troops from elsewhere in the country while the rebels found themselves running low on ammunition and other supplies.

[12] Anti-Gaddafi forces continued to approach the city in early September,[13] with a spokesperson saying that they were fighting at Sabha with "equipment that they did not have".

[14][15] British forces claimed that they had conducted a series of air strikes on pro-Gaddafi targets in and around Sabha, destroying two armoured cars and six tanks among other things.

[20][21] An NTC military spokesman in Benghazi said Sabha Airport was under the control of anti-Gaddafi fighters, but fighting was continuing in some quarters of the city proper, particularly in the district of al-Manshiya.

[22][23] Although Sabha was assumed by many to be a pro-Gaddafi stronghold, CNN's Ben Wedeman reported that NTC forces were greeted with cheers from large parts of the local population as they entered the city, and many residents he talked to claimed they had supported the revolution against Gaddafi from the beginning but were unable to demonstrate due to the strong loyalist presence in the city.