Libya's Zawiya refinery resumes operations after two-day shutdown due to clashes
Al Jazeera Staff
Libya's largest operational refinery resumed full operations after a two-day shutdown triggered by clashes near the facility in Zawiya, 40 km west of Tripoli. The plant had shut down on Friday due to shelling that hit multiple locations inside the facility. Fuel supplies to Tripoli were not affected.
Libya's largest operational refinery resumed full operations after a two-day shutdown caused by clashes near the facility in Zawiya, the plant announced.
The development came on Sunday after a state of emergency was declared following the outbreak of fighting near the refinery on Friday. The facility has a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day and is linked to the 300,000 bpd Sharara oil field.
The Azzawiya Oil Refining Company said in a statement on Friday that it was forced to completely shut down the plant and evacuate all oil tankers from the port after intense shelling hit multiple locations inside the facility.
On the same day, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported that several large-caliber projectiles landed in various areas of the oil complex but caused no significant damage at the time.
Clashes later escalated and spread to residential areas adjacent to the refinery, increasing risks to the facility and its surroundings, the NOC warned. Fuel supplies to the capital Tripoli and surrounding areas were not affected.
Zawiya's security agency described the incident as a "security operation against outlaws." Libya has been mired in instability since the overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Zawiya has seen recurrent clashes, sometimes forcing the closure of the coastal road linking to Tunisia's border. Reports of unrest in the city surfaced on social media, including unverified videos capturing gunfire echoing across Zawiya.
