A major gasoline storage tank at Libya’s Zawiya oil complex, about 40 kilometres west of Tripoli, caught fire and collapsed after an attack that authorities say was carried out by unidentified perpetrators. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) said the tank contained about 4.5 million litres of gasoline. Firefighters eventually brought the blaze under control, while emergency teams worked to prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the complex. No casualties were immediately reported. The incident was the latest in a series of attacks targeting the strategically important Zawiya complex. Earlier in the weekend, drones reportedly struck a naphtha storage tank and a water desalination facility, raising concerns about the safety of workers and critical energy infrastructure. The NOC has warned that continued attacks could force it to suspend operations at the refinery.
Zawiya is home to Libya’s largest operating refinery, with a processing capacity of about 120,000 barrels of crude per day. The facility is also important for domestic fuel supplies, making repeated attacks a potential threat to fuel availability and the wider economy. The latest violence comes after protesters stormed the Mellitah gas complex in July over prolonged electricity cuts, forcing a temporary halt to operations and disrupting gas supplies used by power plants.
Libya remains politically divided between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar. Dbeibah held a security meeting with senior officials following the latest attacks and called for firm action against anyone threatening vital state facilities. A parliamentary committee has also condemned the attacks and called for stronger protection of oil installations. With no group claiming responsibility, the incidents have added to concerns about the security of Libya’s energy infrastructure and the country’s ability to maintain stable fuel and electricity supplies.
