War: Egyptian-Libyan
Border War of 1977
Dates: July 20-24,
1977
Location: Egypt-Libya
Border region
Nations Involved:
Egypt
Vs.
Libya (with Soviet
military support)
Reason for
War:
Egypt and Libya had at one point been on fairly good
terms, as both enjoyed Soviet support in the ongoing
Arab-Israeli Conflict. After the 1973 Arab-Israeli war,
(in which Libya and Egypt were allies), Egypt turned
toward the West, ejected their Soviet advisors, and
became friendlier with the United States. Also, Egyptian
President Anwar al-Sadat began to make initial peace
moves toward Israel. Libya's leader, Colonel Muammar
Khaddafi, still strongly allied with the Soviet Union,
expressed his displeasure at Egypt's moves toward peace
with Israel by expelling 225,000 Egyptian workers from
Libya and by organizing a "March on Cairo," in June,
1977, to protest against Egypt. The march was halted by
Egyptian border guards.
Analysts also believed that this Libya-Egypt conflict
was part of a larger Soviet-sponsored plan to destabilize
not only Egypt, but also other pro-Western nations in
north-east Africa; Sudan and Somalia. Libya had sponsored
a coup attempt against Sudan's leader in 1976, and
Marxist-led (and Soviet allied) Ethiopia was engaged in a
border conflict with Somalia's President Muhammad Siad
Barre, who had, like Sadat, recently ejected the Soviets
from his country.
Course of the War:
After the march was halted, Libyan artillery fired at
the Egyptian border town of Sallum, and Libyan troops
carried out a raid at Sallum. The raid was carried out by
Libya's 9th Tank Battalion and supported by the Libyan
Air Force with French-built Dassault Mirage 5
aircraft.
Egyptian President Sadat and military commanders
ordered three fully army divisions to the Libyan border
in reaction to the Libyan attacks. The Egyptian Army beat
back the Libyan Army attack, destroying most of their
equipment in the ground battle around Sallum. Tanks and
mechanized infantry units of the two divisions of the
First Egyptian Army, which normally protect the Egyptian
capital of Cairo, effectively mauled the three Libyan
Army brigades Khaddafi threw into the border battle.
The Egyptian Air Force and the Egyptian Army then went
on the offensive, crossing the Libyan border and
capturing some key border towns. Three squadrons of
Egyptian warplanes bombed Libyan military bases at
Al-Adem, Al-Kufra and Umm Alayan, as well as a training
camp for Libyan-sponsored African terrorists near
Al-Jaghbub, which was attacked by Egyptian commandos
delivered to the battlefield via helicopter assault.
These terrorists were believed to be training for various
Libyan-sponsored insurgencies in Africa, such as the
ongoing rebellion in northern Chad.
Libya reportedly suffered 400 dead and wounded
combined, lost 60 tanks, 40 armored personnel carriers,
and 21 aircraft. The 1,500-strong Soviet military
advisory contingent, who operated Libya's radar network,
suffered three dead and one wounded in Egyptian air
raids. Egypt's losses came to about 100 dead and wounded,
while losing up to six military aircraft.
Other Arab states negotiated a cease-fire between the
two battling North African neighbors, and convinced Sadat
to not launch a full-scale invasion of Libya. Egypt, and
the world at large, consider this war to have ended in
Egyptian victory.
Outcome of War:
Tensions between Egypt and Libya continued, but Egypt had
taught Khaddafi a lesson, and no more overt attacks on
Egypt occurred. Egypt moved even closer into an alliance
with the United States (which continues into the early
21st century), and signed a peace treaty with Israel in
1979.
Casualties:
Egypt: Libya: Soviet Union:
Dead & Wounded: 100 Dead & Wounded: 400
Dead: 3 Wounded: 1
See also: Wars of
Egypt
Wars of
the Middle East
