[REVISION HISTORY]

Infrastructure attacks in Zawiya, Libya

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What changed

2026-08-12 14:03 UTC → 2026-08-16 01:49 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In early August 2026, critical infrastructure in Zawiya, Libya, was targeted by drone attacks. On August 8, an unidentified drone struck an oil storage tank at the Al Zawiya refinery, causing an unprocessed oil leak. The same day, a drone also hit the Zawiya desalination plant, damaging transport pipelines and causing a water leak. While no casualties were reported, the Al Zawiya Oil Refining Company raised concerns regarding the presence of military equipment within the refinery complex. On August 10, a series of incidents escalated. A drone strike hit a naphtha reservoir on Saturday, followed by a strike on the desalination plant on Sunday. Later on Monday, a drone hit a gasoline storage tank (number 402-T) belonging to the Brega Oil Company. This strike triggered a massive fire that caused the tank, containing approximately 4.5 million litres of fuel, to collapse completely. While local emergency services reported no serious injuries from the blaze, several individuals were treated for smoke inhalation. On Tuesday, additional drone activity was reported targeting a diesel storage tank and an oil blending plant. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) has declared a maximum state of emergency in the region and warned that it may be compelled to declare force majeure and completely halt operations at the refinery if these sabotage attacks continue. The Zawiya refinery, located approximately 40km west of Tripoli, is Libya’s largest operating refinery with a daily capacity of 120,000 barrels. While the refinery has reportedly resumed some operations, the NOC remains on high alert. ~~No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks, and authorities have called for~~ On August 15, an ~~investigation to identify~~ explosion near a power station in Zawiya caused widespread electricity outages affecting Tripoli, coastal cities, and areas near the ~~perpetrators.~~ Ras Jedir border crossing with Tunisia. The General Electricity Company of Libya reported that several production units were taken offline.

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