A drone strike on Wednesday caused a fire at an electrical facility in Zawiya, a city in western Libya, leading to power outages. The state-run General Electricity Company confirmed that a power substation in Zawiya, which connects power plants to residential and commercial areas, was completely destroyed.
This incident marks the latest in a series of attacks targeting Libya's energy and oil infrastructure, raising concerns about further instability in the country. Zawiya, located approximately 30 miles west of the capital Tripoli, is home to significant energy assets, including Libya's largest oil refinery, an export terminal, and a power plant.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the strike. The General Electricity Company reported that the attack resulted in blackouts across the southern parts of the city and shared footage showing large flames erupting from the facility.
Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, the prime minister of one of Libya's two rival governments, condemned the attacks on energy installations as a "serious crime and an escalation that will not go unanswered." He vowed that those responsible would be held accountable.
Recent attacks on energy infrastructure in Zawiya have been frequent. On Monday, a drone strike hit a fuel tank at the city's refinery, causing a massive fire that took over 15 hours to extinguish. The refinery also experienced repeated attacks on Tuesday and over the weekend, according to the National Oil Corporation.
The city's power plant was targeted by two drones on Tuesday. One damaged its firefighting system, while the second struck near the main fuel storage, igniting a fire, the electricity company stated.
These attacks coincide with rising tensions between the government in western Libya and local militia leader Mohamed Bahroun, who reportedly controls Zawiya. Many areas in western Libya are under the influence of local militias loosely aligned with Dbeibah's government in Tripoli.
Libya has been politically divided for years, with rival administrations in the west and east, each supported by different armed groups and foreign governments. Dbeibah heads the administration in western Libya, while Ossama Hammad leads the administration in the eastern part of the country.
Following Tuesday's attack on the power plant, the U.S. company General Electric withdrew its teams from the facility, citing security concerns and the need for a safe work environment. GE provides maintenance and upgrading services for the plant. The electricity company noted that GE had previously withdrawn staff from the plant due to security issues, contributing to a loss of more than 700 megawatts of the Zawiya power station's estimated 1300 megawatt capacity.
The recent violence occurred while Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was in Tripoli to meet with Libyan officials. Turkey is a primary foreign supporter of Dbeibah's government, though it has also engaged with the rival authorities in eastern Libya in an effort to foster reconciliation and contribute to regional efforts to unify the North African nation.
Libya, an oil-rich country, has experienced prolonged conflict since the 2011 uprising that led to the ouster and death of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.