It was launched by the Benghazi Defense Brigades on 3 March 2017, and initially resulted in them taking control of a strip of coastal territory between the towns of Nofaliya and Ras Lanuf, which was then handed over to the Government of National Accord.

[4] On 14 March, Haftar's Libyian National Army (LNA) recaptured all positions lost to the Benghazi Defence and Misratan Brigades in a counter-offensive after several days of aerial bombardment.

[5][6][7] The oil ports targeted in the offensive had been under the control of the Libyan National Army, which supports the Tobruk-based elected parliament, since September 2016, when they were seized from the Petroleum Facilities Guard.

After travelling north through the Sahara Desert from the town of Zella, the BDB simultaneously attacked the ports of Nofaliya, Bin Jawad, Sidra and Ras Lanuf on 3 March.

[18] As the fighting was taking place, the House of Representatives announced on 7 March that they withdrew their support for the UN-backed peace agreement and the Government of National Accord, and called for new elections to be held by February 2018.