The Benghazi attack was a coordinated assault on U.S. facilities in Libya on the night of September 11–12, 2012, that killed four Americans and triggered years of political controversy in the United States.

Quick Scoop: What happened?

On the evening of September 11, 2012, armed militants attacked a temporary U.S. diplomatic compound in the city of Benghazi, eastern Libya. The attackers breached the perimeter, set buildings on fire, and forced U.S. personnel to retreat to safer rooms and then to a separate CIA annex about a mile away.

Four Americans were killed: U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service information officer Sean Smith, and CIA security contractors Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty. The violence unfolded in two main phases several hours apart, first at the diplomatic compound and then at the CIA annex in the early morning of September 12.

Timeline in brief

  • Evening of September 11, 2012: Dozens of armed men arrive at the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi.
  • Around 9:40–9:42 p.m. local time: Attackers storm the compound from multiple directions, firing small arms and rocket‑propelled grenades and throwing grenades over the walls.
  • Shortly after: Diplomatic Security agents move Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith to a safe room; attackers set parts of the main building on fire using fuel, filling it with smoke.
  • Late night: U.S. personnel evacuate the compound and fall back to the nearby CIA annex; Stevens is later found to have died of smoke inhalation, and Smith is also killed.
  • About 4:00 a.m., September 12: Militants launch a mortar and small‑arms attack on the CIA annex, killing Woods and Doherty and wounding other Americans.
  • By early morning: Surviving U.S. personnel are evacuated out of Benghazi to safety.

Why it happened and who was blamed

Early on, U.S. officials publicly suggested the attack grew out of a protest over an anti‑Islam online video that had sparked unrest in other countries. Later investigations concluded the Benghazi assault was a premeditated attack by organized militants, though additional looters and opportunists may have joined in once it began.

Several Islamist militia elements in eastern Libya were implicated, including factions believed to be linked to Ansar al‑Sharia, though the environment was chaotic and Libya’s post‑revolution security situation was extremely unstable. In the years after, U.S. courts convicted a Libyan militant, Ahmed Abu Khattala, for his role in the attack, reflecting the view that it was a planned terrorist operation rather than a spontaneous riot.

Security failures and lessons

Multiple reviews, including a State Department‑appointed Accountability Review Board, found “systemic failures” and leadership shortcomings in how security for the Benghazi mission was assessed and resourced. The facility operated in a high‑risk environment with known threats, and requests for additional security had been made before the attack but were not fully met.

Key lessons emphasized in those reviews included the need to better match diplomatic presence to on‑the‑ground threat levels, improve coordination between State Department security and intelligence elements, and strengthen physical security at temporary or high‑risk posts. These findings led to recommendations and reforms in how U.S. missions in dangerous areas are protected.

Why it became a huge political fight

In the U.S., Benghazi quickly turned into a major political flashpoint, especially in Washington and on cable news. Critics—primarily Republicans—argued that the Obama administration and then–Secretary of State Hillary Clinton failed to provide adequate security, reacted too slowly, and then misled the public about whether it was a terrorist attack or a protest‑gone‑wrong.

Over the next several years, Congress held multiple hearings and investigations, including a high‑profile House Select Committee on Benghazi that kept the issue in the spotlight. While independent investigations did find security failures, they did not substantiate claims of a deliberate high‑level cover‑up; nonetheless, the episode remained central in partisan debates and influenced U.S. domestic politics, especially around Clinton’s later presidential campaign.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.