Drone strikes ignited a massive fire at Libya’s Zawiya oil refinery on August 10, 2026, as tensions escalated between western Libyan authorities and local warlords, with no group claiming responsibility for the attacks.
Firefighters in western Libya battled to extinguish a massive blaze at the Zawiya oil refinery on August 10, 2026, after a drone strike targeted a gasoline-storage tank, causing a fire that burned through the night and into the next day. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported that the attack damaged a tank holding 4.5 million liters of fuel, which later collapsed, triggering a maximum emergency
declaration at the facility. Despite the destruction, no casualties were reported, according to health authorities.
The attack occurred amid rising tensions between the government of western Libya and warlord Mohamed Bahroun, who controls Zawiya. Jalel Harchaoui, an analyst affiliated with the Royal United Services Institute in London, warned that Bahroun’s forces are likely to resort to desperate measures
as they face pressure from the Tripoli-based government. The NOC stated that the fires at the refinery, which houses Libya’s largest oil processing complex, were brought under control by August 11, though operations were partially disrupted.
Impact on Energy Infrastructure and Regional Security
Zawiya’s oil complex, which includes the country’s largest refinery, an export terminal, and a power plant, has been a frequent target of attacks. Over the weekend, drones struck a fuel tank and a desalination plant linked to the refinery, with the NOC reporting damage to the tank. The attacks underscored the fragility of Libya’s energy infrastructure, which has been under siege from rival militias and political factions since the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
The NOC warned that continued attacks could force it to declare a state of force majeure, halting operations at the refinery. The facility, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day, is connected to Libya’s 300,000-bpd Sharara oilfield. Engineers confirmed that while the fires caused no damage to the refinery itself, they disrupted fuel supplies to western regions, though this was later restored. The NOC emphasized that the country’s overall fuel supply remained stable due to reserves in Tripoli and ongoing shipments.
Political Tensions and Foreign Involvement
Maj. Gen. Fawzy al-Mansouri, director of military intelligence for the Libyan National Army (LNA), was killed in the bombing, which the LNA attributed to unspecified adversaries. The LNA, allied with Libya’s eastern government, has been locked in a conflict with western militias aligned with Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah’s administration in Tripoli.
Dbeibah condemned the drone attacks, stating that targeting oil facilities was a “serious crime” that will not go unanswered.
Analysis of the Conflict and Future Risks
Analysts like Harchaoui noted that the attacks reflect the deepening divide between Libya’s eastern and western regions, each controlled by competing governments and armed groups.
As of August 11, all fires at the Zawiya oil complex had been extinguished, but the incident has reignited fears about the security of Libya’s energy assets. With no group claiming responsibility for the drone strikes, the conflict’s trajectory remains uncertain, leaving the country’s oil industry vulnerable to further disruptions.
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