Libya: Five people arrested for attacks on Zawiya refinery

Libyan authorities, in partnership with the Defence Ministry and the intelligence coordination, arrested five people related to the drone attacks on the refinery in the Zawiya region on September 6th, according to Africa News and AFP on September 7th.

The government said that it had uncovered a sabotage cell that was planning further attacks, also in Tripoli and on other energy plants and sensitive infrastructure. The authorities called it a “vast plot”, connecting the arrested men to a real terrorist campaign.

Intelligence services also said that the suspects are both Libyan and foreign, which led them to believe that Haftar’s militia is bigger and more dangerous than they had thought.

These drones exploded next to the oil refinery on August 11th and caused significant structural damage, blackouts and an oil spill, interrupting the already weak Libyan production.

The Zawiya region is the most contested region of the country because of its numerous oil deposits, and it is one of the principal targets for Khalifa Haftar’s militia group, which is trying to take control of the whole region.

According to Libya’s state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC), another oil tank also caught fire during other drone attacks at another deposit near Tripoli.

This tank is part of the second-largest Libyan refinery, with a refining capacity of 120,000 barrels per day.

NOC also declared that, on September 3rd, another attack was foiled against many oil tanks next to the Libyan capital.

Libya is one of the biggest oil producers on the whole African continent, and it could be an incredible resource and a great solution to widespread poverty in the country.

At the same time, Libya’s black gold is the principal cause of wars and conflicts in the Libyan territory, between Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and military commander Khalifa Haftar, who continue to compete for land, oil fields and, above all, political power.

Africa News and AFP, Magherbi.org