Newsletters
A drone targeted an oil facility in Libya's western city of Zawiya early Tuesday, marking another such incident since Sunday, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said. This comes days after a separate drone strike sparked a major fire that destroyed a gasoline storage tank holding an estimated 4.5 million liters of fuel.
In a statement, the NOC said the remotely operated drone targeting the latest facility fell near the main oil tank and pipeline network at a blending and packaging plant operated by the Zawiya Oil Refining Company.
No casualties or material damage were reported from the incident.
The NOC warned that repeated attacks were posing a growing threat to oil facilities in the area and called for urgent intervention by relevant authorities.
The corporation placed firefighting and safety teams on heightened alert for further incidents and warned that if the attacks continue, it could declare force majeure and completely halt operations at the Zawiya refinery.
"The company's board of directors also confirms that if these attacks continue, it will have to declare a state of force majeure and suspend operations at the refinery," the NOC said.
The attack on a gasoline storage tank at the Zawiya oil depot sparked a major fire and prompted the NOC to declare a state of "maximum emergency."
The tank, numbered 402-T and belonging to the Brega Oil Company, contained an estimated 4.5 million liters (1.2 million gallons) of gasoline and later collapsed as emergency crews worked to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby facilities.
"This evening, tank number 402-T, belonging to the Brega Oil Company and used for storing gasoline, was directly targeted, resulting in a severe fire before the tank completely collapsed," the NOC said in a statement.
The reservoir sits at Libya's second-largest oil refinery, with a refining capacity of 120,000 barrels per day, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Tripoli.
Footage showed large flames and thick black smoke billowing over the facility.
Libya's Ambulance and Emergency Service said in a statement that there were no "serious injuries" from the fire, with most patients treated for smoke inhalation.
The latest attack followed drone strikes on a water desalination plant at the refinery on Sunday and on a naphtha reservoir on Saturday, according to the NOC.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for any of the attacks, and the NOC did not say who it believed was behind them.
Separately, Libya's Brega Oil Company said one of the diesel tanks at the Zawiya oil depot was damaged after being struck "under as-yet-unknown circumstances," sparking a fire and heavy smoke, with firefighting crews responding and precautionary cooling operations launched at surrounding tanks.
Brega's statement urged armed groups in the area to immediately halt fighting and stay away from oil facilities.
Brega appealed to "all parties to stop the fighting and stay away from oil facilities and depots," saying "oil facilities are vital infrastructure and owned by all Libyans" and that "protecting them is a national responsibility that does not tolerate any negligence."
During an inspection tour of the Zawiya refinery, Presidential Council member Abdullah Al-Lafi said the cost of the escalation is exorbitant for the country, emphasizing that oil facilities and resources are the collective wealth of all Libyans and do not belong to any armed group or individual.
The Tripoli-based government said Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh held a meeting with key officials, including the interior minister and the chiefs of some armed groups in the capital "to follow up on the latest security developments."
Dbeibeh stressed the need to deal "firmly with any transgressions or actions that threaten security or harm vital facilities and installations," the government said in a statement.
A Libyan parliamentary panel also condemned the attacks and called for stronger protection of oil installations.
"The House of Representatives' Energy and Natural Resources Committee condemns in the strongest terms the criminal attack targeting the Zawiya Refinery, one of the most vital facilities in the oil and gas sector that is a cornerstone of the national economy," the committee said in a statement.
Libya has the most abundant oil reserves in Africa but has remained divided since the country was plunged into war following the 2011 ouster of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country split further in 2014.
Libya remains divided between two rival governments: the internationally recognized Government of National Unity, headed by Dbeibeh and based in Tripoli, which administers western Libya, and a government appointed by the House of Representatives in early 2022, currently headed by Osama Hammad and based in Benghazi, which administers the east and most of the south.
For years, the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has sought to broker a political settlement leading to elections, which many Libyans hope will end the political divisions and armed conflict that have persisted since Gaddafi's ouster.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
