Libyan Refinery Inflamed by Drone Strike, No Major Injuries

Sun Sep 06 2026 05:17:42 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Libyan emergency services fight a blaze at the largest oil refinery after a drone attack. The incident highlights growing instability in Libya.

A drone strike on Saturday set fire to a fuel tank at the Zawiya refinery, Libya’s most productive oil plant. The blaze destroyed the tank and collapsed part of the complex, but emergency crews reported no serious injuries, only smoke inhalation cases. The National Oil Corporation said it may suspend operations if attacks continue. The incident follows two earlier drone strikes on Nakhla naphtha reserves and a water desalination plant in the same city, underscoring the turmoil that has plagued Libya since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

Libyan Refinery Inflamed by Drone Strike, No Major Injuries

Emergency crews in Libya grapple with a massive blaze that erupted at the Zawiya refinery after an unknown drone attack on Saturday evening. The strike hit a fuel tank containing about 4.5 million litres, igniting the tank and collapsing part of the facility.

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) warned that if attacks continued it might have to suspend production at the plant, Libya’s largest operational refinery which processes around 120,000 barrels per day.

Despite the severity of the fire, there were no reported serious injuries. Ambulance and emergency services treated patients mainly for smoke inhalation, the NOC said on Tuesday.

The drone strike marks the third incident in two days targeting key infrastructure in Zawiya, following attacks on a naphtha reservoir and a water desalination plant. The NOC condemned the strikes and urged authorities to investigate the perpetrators.

Libya remains divided side‑by‑side since the 2011 collapse of former leader Muammar Gaddafi, with power centers in the east backed by commander Khalifa Haftar and in the west led by Prime Minister Abdulmajeed Dbeibah. Continued violence underscores the fragile state of the country’s security and economic infrastructure.