Libyan firefighters are battling a massive blaze at the Zawiya oil refinery, about 40 kilometres west of the capital, Tripoli, after a series of drone strikes that prompted the country's National Oil Corporation (NOC) to warn it may suspend all operations at the country's largest functioning refinery.
The most destructive strike hit on Monday evening, when a drone directly targeted tank number 402-T, operated by the Brega Oil Company and containing approximately 4.5 million litres of gasoline. The tank collapsed entirely under the resulting fire, sending huge flames and thick black smoke billowing over the facility. The attack was the third in a series: on Saturday, a drone struck a naphtha storage reservoir, damaging its walls and causing a fuel leak, and on Sunday another strike hit the refinery's water desalination plant. A further drone subsequently fell near the main oil tank and pipeline network of an oil blending and filling plant, though it caused no casualties or damage. Libya's Ambulance and Emergency Service said there were no serious injuries across the incidents, with most patients treated for smoke inhalation.
No group has claimed responsibility for any of the strikes, and authorities have yet to publicly name a suspect. The NOC declared a "maximum emergency" in the region and called for an urgent investigation. Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah convened a meeting with senior security officials and militia commanders, stressing the need to "deal firmly with any transgressions that threaten security or harm vital facilities." A parliamentary energy committee also condemned the attacks in the strongest terms.
The strikes carry serious implications for Libya's economy and energy supply. The Zawiya refinery has a processing capacity of 120,000 barrels per day and is linked to the Sharara oil field, which produces around 300,000 barrels per day — making it a cornerstone of the country's oil infrastructure at a time when the larger Ras Lanuf refinery remains out of service. The NOC warned that continued attacks would force it to declare force majeure and halt operations entirely. Libya holds Africa's largest proven oil reserves, making its energy sector critical both domestically and for export revenues.
The attacks underline the fragile security environment that has persisted in Libya since the NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country has been divided ever since, with a UN-recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar. A ceasefire signed in 2020 halted large-scale fighting, but armed groups continue to operate across the country, and oil infrastructure has repeatedly been used as leverage in political disputes. The Brega Oil Company appealed to "all parties to stop the fighting and stay away from oil facilities," calling their protection "a national responsibility that does not tolerate any negligence."