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Zawiya energy hit
A drone struck a power station in Libya’s western city of Zawiya near the country’s largest operational oil refinery, prompting the government to consider a shutdown as attacks continued in recent days.
“A drone has struck a power station in Libya’s western city of Zawiya”
The Libyan National Oil Corporation said on Tuesday that drones attacked the Zawia refinery complex, marking the fifth attack since Saturday, and that the attack targeted a diesel storage tank belonging to the Zawia Refinery, causing a small fire that was brought under control.
The BBC reported that the Libyan National Army announced the death of its chief of military intelligence, Fawzi Al-Mansouri, on Monday after an explosive device planted in his car exploded as he left a local mosque at night.
The BBC also said the assassination came as efforts were underway to unify the country’s executive authorities under a plan mediated by Washington, which the Libyan National Army publicly endorsed.
In a separate development, the General Electricity Company said the attack on the South Zawia power substation caused a complete power outage in wide areas of the southern part of the city.
Officials trade blame
Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeiba said in a statement posted on X that targeting oil and industrial facilities with drones is “a serious crime and an escalation “that will not pass without a response.”
Al-Dbeiba added, “Using drones to strike vital facilities is not an incidental incident; it is a planned and dangerous act that requires a decisive response,” as the Libyan National Oil Corporation warned it may declare a state of force majeure if attacks continue.
The BBC described the Libyan National Army’s position that it “will not stop fighting terrorism, and will continue its struggle for Libya’s stability and security, and the unification of its institutions.”
CNN Arabic reported that Abdul Hamid al-Dbeibah, head of the Government of National Unity, described the attacks on Zawiya as “an organized and dangerous act,” adding that it is “a serious crime and an escalation that will not go unpunished.”
No group claimed responsibility for the drone attacks to date, and authorities had not accused anyone yet, according to the BBC and Al Jazeera.
What’s at risk next
The Libyan National Oil Corporation warned that if drone attacks continue, it will have to declare a state of emergency and halt operations at the refinery, after reporting repeated strikes on Zawia fuel storage and related infrastructure.
“warned that if these attacks continue, it will have to declare a state of emergency and halt operations”
Ash-Sharq al-Awsaṭ said the National Oil Corporation told Reuters it could declare a state of force majeure and halt operations at the Zawiya refinery entirely if drone attacks on oil facilities persist, while two engineers told Reuters that despite its intensity the fire did not damage the largest operating refinery in Libya.
The Eran Business Publication said the General Electricity Company reported continued loss of more than 700 megawatts of the plant’s total production capacity of 1,300 megawatts after the attack on the 30/11 kV transformer station south of Zawiya.
Anadolu Ajansı reported that the explosion near the Zawiya power plant knocked several electricity generation units out of service, and that investigations were ongoing to determine the technical circumstances.
CNN Arabic added that Libya’s political division remains sharp, and it cited UN Special Representative for Libya Stephanie Williams saying progress toward revitalizing the political process “remains fragile.”
