Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Five killed in the Israeli bombing of a civilian vehicle on Al-Qassam Street in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip
Hamas confirms that it has no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah and affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two civilians were killed and four others, including a child and an infant, were injured in an Israeli bombing of a house belonging to the Al-Banna family in the al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli airstrike targets the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, west of Gaza City
Al-Qassam: We will postpone the handover of the body of the Israeli captive we found, which was scheduled for today, due to the occupation's violations
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Israeli occupation aircraft launch airstrikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip
Netanyahu's office: At the end of the security consultations, the prime minister instructed the military to launch massive military strikes on the Gaza Strip immediately
President Aoun: We urge the activation of the monitoring committee, the cessation of hostilities, ongoing Israeli violations, attacks
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to US Envoy Morgan Ortagus: Southerners must be enabled to return to their homes and rebuild
Syrian sources: The Israeli occupation has begun withdrawing from the areas it infiltrated last night in the Quneitra countryside.

Danish raids in 2011 Libya killed civilians, kept secret by Denmark

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 25 Jan 2024 14:23
4 Min Read

For over 10 years, the Danish Armed Forces have kept their involvement in the murder of civilians during NATO's bombing campaign on Libya back in 2011 secret, but new documents reveal otherwise.

  • x
  • In this file photo taken on a government-organized tour, a destroyed car stands in front of a bombed out home after it was raided by a NATO bomb in the town of Majar, Libya, on Aug. 9, 2011. (AP)
    In this file photo taken on a government-organized tour, a destroyed car stands in front of a bombed home after it was raided by a NATO bomb in the town of Majar, Libya, on August 9, 2011. (AP)

After evidence emerged showing that the Danish air force was engaged in airstrikes that claimed the lives of 41 civilians in Libya during NATO's 2011 "intervention", Denmark's defense ministry said it would launch a review.

It is significant to note that this would be the first time that any of the 10 NATO country members admitted to killing civilians in Libya, as they carried out a large-scale bombing campaign.

According to The Guardian, the Danish Air Force had lied to the public about killing civilians for over 10 years. The documents, recently released due to the Freedom of Information Act, show that the Air Force, in 2012, approximately one year after the attack, concluded, privately, civilians killed by two Danish F-16 raids were among the civilians reported killed in reports published by the UN, media, and human rights organizations.

The two strikes in question occurred in June and September of 2011. The first airstrike targeted a residential compound in Surman, located about 40 miles west of Tripoli, and took place on June 20, 2011. A survivor of the attack said that the compound was solely residential, despite NATO's then-claims that it was "a legitimate military target."

On September 16, 2011, the second Danish attack targeted an apartment block in Sirte, central Libya, claiming the lives of a man and a woman who was five months pregnant.

Review of attack underway

Recently, the Danish Ministry of Defense noted in a statement that a review of the attacks is underway, even though 10+ years have already passed since. 

Related News

Saab to build Ukraine assembly line as Sweden advances Gripen deal

Russian Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile final test complete

The statement read: "The Minister of Defence has requested the Defence Command to assess whether the documents in question indicate that there were ramifications of such magnitude that an investigation should have been conducted at that time within the coalition or Nato framework,” it added.

Read more: Libya eastern parliament: Immediate departure of West's ambassadors

Gregory Shupak of Responsible Statecraft, underscored, back in September 2023, that the devastating floods caused by Storm Daniel in Libya, which have killed up to 10,000 people, are both natural and man-made.

He explains that during the week following Storm Daniel, most of the media coverage cited "war" as one of the reasons the country was unprepared to deal with the disaster, ignoring NATO's role in the years of invasion that took place on Libyan soil.

Shupak added that during the NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi in February 2011, US media touted claims that Libya's airforce bombed protesters despite never presenting evidence and the Pentagon reporting "no confirmation whatsoever" that it took place. 

The bombing, according to him, killed thousands of Libyans NATO claimed to be saving. In addition, it allowed for tens of thousands of weapons to be trickled down through Libya, the Sahel, and even in Syria, according to Shupak.

Shupak expresses that of course NATO bombing did not directly cause the dams to collapse in Derna, but the war on Libya led to the "destruction of the Libyan state and social fabric, helping bring about years of warfare, one consequence of which has been the inability to maintain critical infrastructure."

This view, according to him, has not been expressed in any mainstream media outlets, even those that mention "war".

Read more: Libya passes a law criminalizing normalization with 'Israel'

  • Nato
  • Libya
  • Denmark
  • Danish Armed Forces

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, during a speech televised on October 22, 2025 (Al-Quds Brigades Military Media)

Al-Quds Brigades' Abu Hamza mourns leaders, vows continued resistance

  • Politics
  • 22 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Members of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and Egyptian workers search for the bodies of hostages in a tunnel discovered during searches in Hamad City, Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' obstructing Gaza body recovery, creating false claims: Hamas

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawwaf Salam talks to US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus at the Grand Serail in Beirut, Lebanon, October 28, 2025 (NNA)
Politics

Salam conveys to Ortagus goals behind any possible negotiations

Writers boycott NYT, demand justice as Gaza media ban faces court
Politics

300+ writers boycott NYT Opinion, cite persistent anti-Palestine bias

Settlers attack West Bank olive harvesters, Injure 3 Palestinians
Politics

Settlers attack West Bank olive harvesters, injure 3 Palestinians

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS