Editing Ghat, Libya (section)

==Present day==
In the 2000s Ghat, as a garrison town, was the site of shootouts between Libyan security forces and [[al-Qaeda]]-linked fighters.<ref>{{cite news|last=Warren|first=Alex|date=24 August 2011|access-date=11 September 2011|title=Libya: what about the south?|work=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/aug/24/libya-forgotten-south}}</ref> The [[Fezzan campaign]] and border proximity were the regional components that included Ghat in the [[2011 Libyan Civil War|Libyan Civil War]]. On September 25, 2011, fighting moved onto Ghat where the last remnants of pro-Gaddafi loyalists in Fezzan were claimed{{by whom|date=February 2013}} to be stationed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8787721/Dumped-in-the-desert-...-Gaddafis-yellowcake-stockpile.html|title=Dumped in the desert ... Gaddafi’s yellowcake stockpile|agency=The Telegraph|first=Richard|last=Spencer|date=25 September 2011|access-date=9 October 2011}}</ref> NTC forces moved in, and took control of Ghat airport, located north of the city.<ref name=libyatv>{{cite news|url=http://www.libya.tv/2011/10/%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%88-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%b7%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d9%85%d8%b7%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%ba%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%af%d9%88%d9%84%d9%8a/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007051309/http://www.libya.tv/2011/10/%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%88-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-10-07|title=فيديو: السيطرة على مطار غات الدولي|agency=Libya TV}}</ref> By the next day, the NTC had control of the city itself and Tinkarine border crossing with Algeria. As of 2015, the city is controlled by independent Tuareg forces.

===Tourism===
[[File:Fortress medina ghat.jpeg|270px|thumb|The [[Fortress of Ghat]]]]
Ghat is an important [[tourist destination]] due to the existence of prehistoric [[Cave painting|rock paintings]] and [[Petroglyph|engravings]] in the neighboring [[Tadrart Acacus]] and [[Tassili N'Ajjer]] mountains, in addition to the beauty of the surrounding desert landscapes. A major tourist attraction in the town itself is the [[Fortress of Ghat]] on Koukemen hill.

[[Ghat Airport]] is the local airport in Ghat.