Libyan authorities have arrested five people suspected of involvement in a series of drone attacks targeting a major oil facility in the west of the country.
The government said the arrests had uncovered what it described as a “vast plot”, alleging that the suspects belonged to a sabotage cell involved in a coordinated campaign against critical infrastructure.
According to the authorities, the group was also planning attacks on a power station south of Tripoli and other vital facilities.
Officials said foreigners were among those arrested but did not disclose their nationalities or provide further details about the suspects.
The arrests followed a series of drone attacks on the Zawiya oil complex, located about 45 kilometres west of the capital, Tripoli.
In August, a large petrol reservoir at the facility caught fire after a drone attack, according to Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC).
The reservoir forms part of Libya’s second-largest oil refinery, which has a refining capacity of about 120,000 barrels per day.
Further drone attacks were subsequently reported at the Zawiya complex, while the NOC said on Thursday that another attempted attack on fuel tanks outside Tripoli had been thwarted.
The latest incidents have raised fresh concerns over the security of Libya’s vital oil infrastructure, which remains central to the country’s economy.
Libya holds Africa’s largest proven oil reserves but has struggled with political instability and armed conflict since the 2011 overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The country remains divided between rival administrations.
The UN-recognised government in Tripoli is led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, while a rival administration in the east is backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
The authorities have not publicly identified those behind the drone attacks or explained who may have ordered or financed the alleged sabotage campaign. Investigation into the attacks and the suspected network is continuing.
