Libyan authorities have arrested five individuals suspected of carrying out drone strikes on the Zawiya oil refinery, a key energy facility located 45 kilometres west of Tripoli. The government described the suspects as members of a sabotage cell involved in a coordinated campaign targeting critical infrastructure, including plans to attack a power station south of the capital. Foreign nationals are among those detained, though authorities did not disclose their identities or countries of origin.
The attacks began in August when a drone strike triggered a fire at a large petrol reservoir within the refinery complex, which has a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day and is the second-largest in Libya. Subsequent drone assaults targeted other parts of the Zawiya facility, with a recent attempt to strike fuel tanks near Tripoli thwarted, according to the state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC). The NOC confirmed the incidents and emphasized ongoing threats to energy infrastructure.
Libya, home to Africa's largest oil reserves, has faced persistent instability since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi. The country currently has two rival administrations: the UN-recognized government in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and an eastern-based administration supported by military commander Khalifa Haftar. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, and no further details about the investigation or charges have been released.
The arrest of suspects linked to drone attacks on a major refinery reveals deepening security risks to Libya's oil infrastructure amid political division. With foreign nationals reportedly involved, the incident raises questions about external actors exploiting the country's fragmented governance. The presence of a sabotage cell planning multiple strikes suggests vulnerabilities that could disrupt national and regional energy supplies.
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