On 11 September 2012 , militants allied with Al-Qaeda attacked the US consulate in Benghazi , killing the US ambassador and three others . This prompted a popular outcry against the semi-legal militias that were still operating , and resulted in the storming of several Islamist militia bases by protesters . A large-scale government crackdown followed on non-sanctioned militias , with the Libyan Army raiding several now-illegal militias ' headquarters and ordering them to disband . The violence eventually escalated into the second Libyan civil war
US consulate in Benghazi
2012 Benghazi attack
Libyan Crisis (2011–present)