TRIPOLI, Aug. 11 — Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said Tuesday that the roof of diesel storage tank No. 4/4 at the Zawiya refinery in western Libya was targeted by a drone.
In a statement, the NOC said the drone struck the tank and sparked a fire, adding that emergency and safety teams managed to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading.
The NOC confirmed that fuel supplies were unaffected by the incident and that fuel deliveries to service stations were proceeding according to normal schedules and procedures.
The latest attack came amid repeated incidents targeting fuel facilities and storage tanks in the Zawiya area in recent days. Fuel tanks at the Zawiya oil complex were targeted by drones on Monday evening, causing fires.
Libyan authorities later said they had found drone wreckage and related components, as well as seized 82-mm mortar shells, at the site.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah on Tuesday vowed to hold accountable those responsible for drone attacks on oil and industrial facilities in Zawiya, describing the attacks as a “dangerous escalation” and a direct threat to the lives of citizens and workers as well as vital national facilities.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya on Tuesday also called for an immediate halt to clashes in the city and accountability for those responsible.
Located about 60 km west of the capital Tripoli, the Zawiya refinery is one of Libya’s main oil facilities. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
