Libya's largest oil refinery in Zawiya has suspended operations and declared a state of emergency after armed clashes erupted nearby, prompting the evacuation of all staff. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) and the Zawiya Oil Refining Company announced a “precautionary halt” and evacuated all personnel from the oil complex and port.
The NOC confirmed that all employees are safe and said fuel supply remains normal. In a statement on Facebook, the unit said alarms were activated “after armed clashes involving heavy weapons occurred around the oil complex at dawn on Friday.”
“These clashes caused many heavy-weapon projectiles to fall on various locations within the oil complex,” the statement added, noting that no significant damage has been recorded. “However, the clashes escalated and spread to the residential area adjacent to the refinery, making the area a direct target of heavy artillery, significantly increasing the risk of further damage,” the statement read.
According to AFP, the Zawiya authorities, west of the capital Tripoli, said they had launched a “large-scale campaign” targeting criminal groups, amid clashes and explosions. The campaign targeted “criminal dens and wanted individuals” involved in serious crimes including “murder and attempted murder, kidnapping and extortion, drug, weapons and human trafficking, and illegal migration.”
Videos verified by Al Jazeera showed large explosions and gunfire, as well as damage to some cars and facilities inside the refinery. Sirens sounded after shells landed on operational sites. The Zawiya Oil Refining Company called on all parties to immediately cease fire and urged Libyan authorities to intervene to protect human life and critical infrastructure.
The Zawiya refinery, about 40 km west of Tripoli, has a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day and is connected to the Sharara oil field, which produces 300,000 barrels per day. Since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011, Libya has been mired in conflict between the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and the eastern government led by military commander Khalifa Haftar, which is not internationally recognized.
The cause of the clashes remains unclear, but local media suggest the conflict began following a security campaign targeting armed groups.
