Drone strikes hit Libya's key western oil town as a car bomb kills an officer in the east
Drone strike sparks massive blaze at Libya’s Zawiya refinery
On Tuesday, drones struck key oil facilities in western Libya, igniting fires at a power plant and an oil refinery, according to the National Oil Corporation. The attacks highlighted the precarious security situation surrounding Libya's critical infrastructure. In the east, Benghazi, a car bomb killed a senior military officer of the self-styled military force of Khalifa Hifter, the leader of the LNA.
Neither group claimed responsibility for the drone strikes or the Benghazi bombing. The first drone attack on Monday set ablaze the refinery's gasoline-storage tank, with no reported casualties. Nearby, another drone hit an oil tank but did not result in casualties. The company declared a state of emergency and declared the tank collapsed.
On Tuesday, two more drones targeted the town's power plant, causing damage to its firefighting system and igniting a fire that was quickly contained. Tensions between the government in Tripoli and warlord Mohamed Bahroun, who controls Zawiya, have escalated as Bahroun's forces grow increasingly desperate. Analysts suggest the violence may escalate further.
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