Bani Walid is an oasis town in western Libya which has a historic rivalry with the city of Misrata. During the civil war in 2011, Bani Walid remained a bastion of support for the government of Muammar Gaddafi until the very end of the war, while Misrata was one of the first towns to rise up, emerging victorious from a months-long siege. After the end of the war, a number of Misratan militias made efforts to capture those people whom they believed were linked to the previous government.