Brega

Brega, also known as Marsa el-Brega (Arabic: مرسى البريقة‎ Marsā al Burayqah), is situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sirte, the most southerly point of the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in the former Ajdabiya District, which in 2007 was merged into the Al Wahat District.
During the 2011 mass protests, the city fell under control of the Libyan opposition. Government forces attempted to capture the city on March 2 but were repelled by the opposition. On 13 March government forces recaptured the city, though rebels later recaptured it on March 26.
The assigned settlement nearby is known as Al Burayqah or Brega.
The city was built in pre-fabricated concrete parts and was designed by Greek architect and urban planner Konstantinos Apostolos Doxiadis. The city has about 7000 inhabitants.
Marsa Brega was the location of a brief but important battle in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. On March 31, 1941, during the opening phase of Rommel's first offensive, the German Afrika Korps expelled the British from their partially prepared positions at Marsa Brega. This opened the way for Rommel's drive to the Egyptian border and encirclement of Tobruk.
During the Libyan Civil War, Brega found itself in the middle of numerous clashes between rebel and loyalist forces, as the frontline shifted rapidly in each direction. By the middle of April, the town had changed hands 6 times in less than 2 months.

Early on in the uprising, anti-government forces gained control of the town and oil production facilities. Government forces attempted to regain control of the area on March 2, but were repulsed by the rebels. On March 15, government forces retook Brega, during their initial counter-offensive as the disorganised rebel forces were crushed by the Loyalist's heavy weapons and air power. On 26 March, after the UN imposed a no-fly zone which removed the threat of Loyalist air attacks, rebels advanced rapidly, taking Brega back from Gaddafi's forces but were quickly forced to retreat after a Loyalist counter-offensive. By 31 March, the frontline had stabilised between Brega and Ajdabiya, with rebel forces launching numerous attacks on the town, which all resulted in hasty retreats. Eventually after pushing the Loyalists back from Ajdabiya, the rebels once again launched an assault on the strategic oil town.
With both sides unable to gain a decisive military advantage, it appears likely the frontline will continue to remain in the vicinity of Brega, potentially causing major lasting damage to the town, the extent of which is currently unclear. The effect of the fighting on the city's 7000 inhabitants is also unclear, as is the number of oil workers remaining in the city.
On 13 January 2000 a Short 360 aircraft leased by the Sirte Oil Company crashed 13 miles off the coast, resulting in 22 fatalities. The crash is thought to have occurred after the plane's engines were flooded with melting ice after failure to engage the aircraft's ice protection system.
The town is the site of an oil refinery belonging to and run by Sirte Oil Company, which is a subsidiary of the state owned National Oil Corporation (NOC). During the 1960s and 1970s it was run in partnership with the international oil company, Esso. By the early 80’s, Esso had left, passing full control over to Sirte Oil Company.
Marsa Brega is the starting point of the 670 km (420 mi) Marsa El Brega-Khoms Intisar gas pipeline.