[citation needed] The First Fleet of the Italian naval forces, commanded by Vice-admiral Augusto Aubry, approached Tobruk on 3 October and invaded the city the next day without encountering any serious opposition.

The leader of the Tripolitanian Bedouin force was Sheik Muberra (Al Mabri Yaseen), who was backed by his "Meryem" clan and other Senussi volunteers.

In the first week of December 1911[citation needed] Italian soldiers captured the Nadura Hill in Mureyra Valley and were busy digging trenches and preparing fortifications while they waited for reinforcements.

At the same time, Turkish soldiers and Tripolitanian volunteers under the command of Enver Pasha were ordered to attack the Italians on Nadura Hill.

The Italians later reinforced all of their beachhead enclaves in Tripolitania in January 1912 and continued their occupation of Tobruk until the war ended in October 1912.