Tarek Chouiref
12 August 2026•Update: 12 August 2026
A drone targeted a power station in Libya’s western city of Zawiya early Wednesday, sparking a fire at the facility, local media reported.
Footage carried by Libyan outlets showed flames rising from the power station following the reported strike.
There has been no official statement on casualties or the extent of the damage, while no group has claimed responsibility.
The attack follows a series of drone strikes on key infrastructure in Zawiya, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Tripoli.
On Tuesday, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said the Zawiya Oil Refinery had been targeted for the fifth time since Sunday.
The NOC said an explosive-laden drone struck the roof of a diesel tank, piercing it and triggering a fire that emergency teams later brought under control.
Another drone had targeted a separate diesel tank at the refinery earlier Tuesday, also causing a fire. No casualties were reported in either attack.
The corporation said refinery operations had resumed following the earlier strikes and that fuel supplies and reserves remained unaffected.
Last week, clashes between armed groups in Zawiya spread to the nearby city of Surman, leaving people dead and injured and resulting in a prison break.
Libya remains divided between the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh and a rival administration appointed by the House of Representatives and headed by Osama Hammad in Benghazi.
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has sought to resolve political disputes that have delayed long-awaited national elections, which Libyans hope will help end years of political division and armed conflict following the 2011 overthrow of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi.
