Tensions Rise in Western Libya After Drone Attacks on Energy Infrastructure: Latest Developments
Tensions Rise in Western Libya After Drone Attacks on Energy Infrastructure: Latest Developments
Drone attacks on energy facilities in Zawiya this week have caused fires, damage, power outages and injuries, drawing condemnation from Libyan authorities and the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
Key developments by Wednesday afternoon:
The South Zawiya electrical substation was completely burned and taken out of service following a drone attack, Libya’s General Electricity Company said.
Ten people were injured in the attacks, Libyan Red Crescent spokesperson Hamdi A-Nahili told Sputnik, adding that information on possible deaths and the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
PM Abdulhamid Dbeibah, head of Libya’s Government of National Unity, condemned the attacks on oil and industrial facilities, calling them “a serious crime and a dangerous escalation that will not go unanswered.” He said investigations are underway to identify the origin of the drones and those behind the strikes. Operations at the oil depot have resumed, he added.
National Oil Corporation Chairman Masoud Suleiman inspected the damage to fuel storage facilities in Zawiya and met with firefighting and safety teams involved in containing the fires.
UNSMIL condemned the ongoing clashes in Zawiya and previous fighting in Surman, warning that the violence has killed and injured civilians and damaged property and critical infrastructure, including the Zawiya Refinery. It called for an immediate halt to hostilities and the withdrawal of heavy weapons from populated areas.
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