In brief
A drone strike knocked out a 4.5‑million‑litre fuel tank at the Zawiya refinery, setting the site ablaze in a rapid blaze. Emergency crews tamed the fire but cited concerns over repeated attacks that could halt Libya’s major oil output. The incident echoes the enduring internal conflict that has fractured Libya since the fall of Gaddafi. The National Oil Corporation urged a probe into the attackers, warning that further strikes could cripple the nation’s petroleum supply.
A drone struck the Zawiya refinery in western Libya on Monday night, sparking a huge blaze that has since threatened the nation’s biggest oil worker.
The National Oil Corporation said the strike hit a tank holding 4.5 million litres of fuel, collapsing the structure and lighting a huge fire. While first‑responders managed the flames, they warned that repeated hits could force a shutdown of the plant, which produces 120,000 barrels of oil per day.
Emergency crews treated patients for smoke inhalation but reported no serious injuries. The blast has put a spotlight on Libya’s turbulent security situation—a split nation still wrestling for power since the 2011 uprising that toppled long‑time dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
The NOC condemned the attack and urged authorities to investigate who is behind the violence, amid prior drone hits on a naphtha tank and a desalination plant in Zawiya.
