Drone Strike Ignites Fire at Libya's Zawiya Oil Refinery
A drone strike on Monday caused a major fire at Libya's Zawiya oil refinery, the country's largest operational facility. Firefighters battled the blaze throughout Tuesday, while another drone hit a nearby tank without causing casualties.
Key takeaways
- A drone strike on Monday initiated a large fire at Libya's Zawiya oil refinery.
- The affected fuel tank at the refinery, which collapsed, held 4.5 million liters of fuel.
- Firefighters battled the blaze from Monday through Tuesday afternoon.
- A second drone strike hit a nearby oil tank without causing damage or casualties.
- No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the refinery or a car bombing in Benghazi.
Firefighters in western Libya worked on Tuesday to contain a significant fire ignited by a drone strike at the Zawiya oil refinery. The blaze began on Monday when a drone struck a fuel tank at the facility, located approximately 47 kilometers west of the capital, Tripoli.
The state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported that the attack caused a large fire at a fuel storage tank, which continued to burn into Tuesday afternoon. The affected tank contained 4.5 million liters of fuel and subsequently collapsed. The NOC declared a state of maximum emergency at the refinery.
In addition to the primary strike, a second drone impacted an oil tank nearby on Monday, though it did not result in casualties or damage. Local media also reported that two drones targeted the town's power plant, with one damaging its firefighting system.
The incidents in Zawiya are part of a series of drone attacks targeting the nation's oil infrastructure. The refinery is a critical energy asset, housing Libya's largest operational refinery, an export terminal, and a power plant.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks on the oil facilities in Zawiya or a separate car bombing incident in the eastern city of Benghazi on Monday that killed a senior military officer.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
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