▁December , ▁the ▁division ▁was ▁d ug ▁in ▁at ▁Mak til a ▁and ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁surrender ▁during ▁Operation ▁Com pass . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁Ital o - T urk ish ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 1 - 1 2 , ▁Italy ▁occupied ▁the ▁coast al ▁zones ▁of ▁the ▁tw in ▁provinces ▁of ▁Tri polit ania ▁and ▁Cy ren a ica , ▁const itut ing ▁modern ▁Lib ya . ▁The ▁It ali ans ▁continued ▁to ▁face ▁very ▁strong ▁opposition ▁from ▁the ▁Sen us si , ▁especially ▁in ▁Cy ren a ica . ▁From ▁the ▁beginning ▁the ▁Italian ▁Army ▁made ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁Turkish ▁organ ised ▁Arab ▁g endar mer ie ▁as ▁auxili aries , ▁augment ing ▁them ▁with ▁regular ▁colonial ▁units ▁rec ru ited ▁amongst ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les ▁of ▁Lib ya . ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁these ▁compr ised ▁seven ▁batt al ions ▁of ▁inf antry , ▁three ▁squad rons ▁of ▁sav ari ▁caval ry , ▁one ▁squad ron ▁of ▁me har istes ▁( cam el ▁troops ), ▁a ▁mountain ▁art illery ▁battery ▁and ▁a ▁section ▁of ▁cam el ▁art illery . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁the ▁Lib yan ▁units ▁had ▁been ▁brought ▁together ▁into ▁the ▁" Ro yal ▁Corps ▁of ▁Lib yan ▁Tro ops " ▁compr ising ▁inf antry , ▁caval ry , ▁art illery , ▁motor ised ▁troops ▁and ▁support ▁services . ▁A ▁batt alion ▁of ▁Lib yan ▁par ach ut ists ▁was ▁raised ▁shortly