Gulf of Sidra is a body of water in the
Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of
Libya; it is also known as
Gulf of Sirte. It is located by the city of
Sirte. In
Ancient Rome it was known as
Syrtis Maior (compare:
Syrtis Minor).
Tuna fishing is of economic importance in the Gulf.
Territorial claim
Libya asserts that the entire gulf is Libyan territory with what is called the Gulf of Sidra closing line — 32 degrees, 30 minutes north
with an exclusive fishing zone to 62 nm
The US denies Libya the right to assert the claim and believes Libya has only a standard of a 12-mile (22.2 km)
territorial limit from the country's shore. Libya believes it to be a territorial sea, not just a coastal area.
In 1973 this was asserted by Libya's leader
Muammar al-Gaddafi who dubbed it
The Line of Death.
In the 1981, there was
an incident,
US-
Libyan air engagement over territorial claim, two Libyan
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter fighter aircraft were shot down by two US Navy
F-14 Tomcats.
In 1986, the U.S launched a
bombing of Libya. During the bombing, the Libyans shot down a F-111, killing USAF captains
Fernando L. Ribas-Dominicci and
Paul F. Lorence.
In 1989, in
another Gulf of Sidra incident, two Libyan
MiG-23 Flogger Es aircraft were shot down when it was believed they were about to attack the U.S. fighters that were in the area. In this instance, the Flogger pilots were lost when they were fired on and successfully shot down after a series of missile launches.
See also
- Operation Attain Document, was a series of air strikes against Libyan naval and air defense targets in the spring of 1986 prior to Operation El Dorado Canyon.
