NTC forces managed to advance to the outskirts of Bin Jawad on 23 August after retaking Brega and Ra's Lanuf the previous day, but were unable to progress further due to heavy loyalist resistance in the area.[2]
On 24 August, a heavy loyalist artillery bombardment caused the rebels to retreat 20 km from Bin Jawad to Sidra.[3] NTC troops regrouped and counter-attacked, but the loyalists ambushed the advancing NTC forces once again at Bin Jawad, in an echo of an earlier defeat in March. Twenty rebel fighters died in the clashes, with an undetermined number of loyalist casualties.[4]
The next day, forces loyal to the NTC pulled back to Ra's Lanuf out of loyalist artillery range, and prepared for another advance along the coast towards Bin Jawad and their ultimate objective, Sirte.[5]
On 27 August, another advance began towards Bin Jawad, this time successfully dislodging the loyalist troops who retreated to Sirte, and Bin Jawad fell entirely to the NTC Army.[6]
Rebel forces began advancing towards Sirte the next day.[7]
