He was the deputy chief of staff of the Libyan army.

"I see no indication that the Libyan army suddenly is going to become a fierce fighting force," one diplomat said.

He had been a special forces commander in the Libyan Army prior to his retirement.

In 2009, an uprising was suppressed by the Libyan army using helicopter gunships.

The Libyan Army was generally regarded as neither efficient nor well trained.

The Libyan Army was defeated by a force substantially inferior in numbers and equipment.

In resigning, he urged that the Libyan army should "join the people and respond to their legitimate demands".

At 20 years old he was recruited as a volunteer in the Libyan army under Gaddafi.

They said the weapons were sold to the Libyan Army by the manufacturer in 1976, and still bore original serial numbers.

By late afternoon, coalition forces had bombed the Libyan army near Brega.