<P> The first Libyan Civil War , also referred to as the Libyan Revolution or 17 February Revolution , was an armed conflict in 2011 , in the North African country of Libya , fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government . The war was preceded by protests in Zawiya on 8 August 2009 , and finally ignited by protests in Benghazi beginning on Tuesday , 15 February 2011 , which led to clashes with security forces that fired on the crowd . The protests escalated into a rebellion that spread across the country , with the forces opposing Gaddafi establishing an interim governing body , the National Transitional Council . </P>
who was involved in the libyan civil war
forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government