TRIPOLI: Authorities in western Libya have arrested five people including foreigners who were involved in a recent string of drone attacks on a major energy complex, the Tripoli-based government said on Sunday.
Authorities said the group were part of a “sabotage cell” who also planned to attack a power station south of Tripoli, as well as other vital facilities.
The government said the arrests exposed a “vast plot” and described the attacks as being part of a coordinated campaign.
Last month, a large petrol reservoir in Zawiya caught fire during a drone attack on a major oil facility near Tripoli, Libya’s state-owned oil company NOC said. The reservoir is part of the second-largest oil refinery in Libya, with a refining capacity of 120,000 barrels per day.
Other drone attacks followed at the Zawiya complex, which is located some 45 kilometres (28 miles) west of Tripoli. On Thursday, another attack on fuel tanks outside of Tripoli was thwarted, the NOC said. Authorities have not identified the detainees or their nationalities.
Libya has the most abundant oil reserves in Africa but has been beset by violence and instability since the overthrow of Muammar Qadhafi in 2011. Two governments are currently vying for power: the UN-recognised administration in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and a rival in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2026
