Mahdi al-Arabi

Born

Zawiya, Libya

Allegiance Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Branch Libyan Army

Service years1967 –2011

Mahdi al-Arabi
Born	Zawiya, Libya
Allegiance	Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Branch	Libyan Army
Service years	1967 –2011
Rank	Brigadier-General
Commands	Deputy Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army
Conflicts	2011 Libyan civil war 2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive Chadian–Libyan War First Battle of Zawiya Second Battle of Zawiya

Mahdi al-Arabi (Arabic: مهدي العربي) is a Libyan brigadier-general who served under the Libyan Armed Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.^[1] He was the deputy chief of staff of the Libyan Army.^[2] During the 2011 Libyan civil war, he was put in charge of helping to suppress protests, most notably in the Libyan city of Zawiya.^[3][4]

On 21 August 2011, anti-Gaddafi forces reportedly arrested Al-Arabi in Tripoli, after some spies disclosed his location and the location of other generals. A video purportedly of Arabi in detention was posted to YouTube on 11 September.^[5]