Western Libyan law enforcement agencies have apprehended five individuals linked to a series of drone strikes targeting critical energy infrastructure in the region.
Government officials revealed that the arrests uncovered a vast plot, framing the strikes as part of an organized sabotage campaign. According to authorities, the suspects belonged to a sabotage cell that also intended to launch attacks against a power station south of Tripoli alongside several other essential installations. Officials noted that foreign nationals were among those detained, though further specifics were withheld.
The arrests follow an August incident where a strike on a key oil facility near Tripoli sparked a massive blaze in a major petrol storage tank, as confirmed by Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC). The targeted storage unit belongs to the country’s second-largest oil refinery in Zawiya, located roughly 45 kilometers west of Tripoli, which processes 120,000 barrels per day. Additional drone strikes subsequently hit the Zawiya facility, while the NOC reported that a separate attack on fuel tanks outside the capital was foiled on Thursday.
Despite holding Africa’s largest proven crude oil reserves, Libya remains gripped by conflict and political fragmentation following the 2011 ouster of Muammar Gaddafi. Power remains split between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli under Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and an eastern-based rival administration aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar.
