Drone strikes Libya's Zawiya refinery tank, causes leak

A drone strike punctured an untreated naphtha tank at Libya's Zawiya oil refinery early Saturday, causing a fuel leak but no casualties or fire, the state-run company said.

The attack occurred at approximately 3:45 a.m. when the unmanned aerial vehicle hit the tank wall, creating two holes that released naphtha into the facility. Personnel contained the breach and halted the leakage, though operations faced disruption, according to the Zawiya Oil Refining Company.

Refinery warns against militarization

The company expressed grave concern over military equipment positioned within the refinery complex, warning that such presence poses severe threats to personnel, infrastructure, and the surrounding environment. It urged all factions to exclude the strategic facility from combat zones, emphasizing that sensitive hydrocarbon operations require absolute stability.

Violence escalates in western Libya

The incident follows deadly clashes between armed groups that erupted Tuesday in Surman and Zawiya, which reportedly included a prison break and multiple casualties. The refinery declared Tuesday a day off for employees in unsafe areas, citing the deteriorating security situation that has periodically engulfed the coastal hub.

Libya remains split between the UN-recognized Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh in Tripoli and a rival administration appointed by the House of Representatives headed by Osama Hammad in Benghazi. The UN Support Mission in Libya continues efforts to broker a political settlement leading to national elections, seeking to end the chronic instability gripping the oil-rich nation since the 2011 ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.