A significant fire erupted at Libya’s Zawiya refinery following a drone strike, prompting emergency response from local authorities. Medical personnel reported that most individuals affected experienced smoke-related injuries, with no critical casualties recorded. Visual documentation confirmed extensive flames and dark smoke emanating from the facility, which serves as the nation’s primary functioning refinery and processes approximately 120,000 barrels daily. The installation sits roughly 40 kilometers west of Tripoli.
According to Libya’s National Oil Corporation, the Monday evening blaze targeted a storage tank holding approximately 4.5 million liters of gasoline, causing severe damage before the tank’s structural failure. This incident represents the third consecutive day of drone attacks on the refinery, following strikes on a water treatment facility and a fuel storage tank on preceding days. Officials declared maximum emergency protocols and demanded investigation into the attacks, though no group immediately claimed responsibility.
The National Oil Corporation warned that continued assaults could force suspension of all refinery operations through a force majeure declaration. Political authorities, including the Tripoli-based government and parliamentary committees, condemned the attack and emphasized the critical importance of safeguarding energy infrastructure. These incidents underscore ongoing security challenges in Libya, where competing governmental factions and armed groups maintain significant influence amid regional instability that has persisted since 2014.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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