**Drone Targets Fuel Depot in Libyan Capital**
Tripoli, Libya – An attempted drone strike on a fuel depot in the capital city of Tripoli has raised alarms regarding the safety of the country’s energy infrastructure, as reported by Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC). The incident occurred on Thursday morning at the Brega fuel depot, located on Airport Road.
According to the NOC, the drone targeted fuel tanks at the depot but initially resulted in no reported damage. However, in response to the threat, the corporation heightened emergency readiness across all its sites and instructed teams to lower fuel levels in the tanks as a precautionary measure.
Subsequent inspections conducted by Brega Petroleum Marketing Company revealed that the drone had indeed caused damage to several pipelines and two storage tanks. The drone reportedly entered the depot's airspace before crashing near one of the tanks. Fortunately, no casualties were reported as a result of the incident.
The NOC characterized the drone strike as a “dangerous indication” of ongoing attempts to sabotage oil facilities in the region. The corporation warned that such attacks pose a direct threat to the supply system and essential services, including power generation, healthcare, and industrial operations.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. This incident follows a series of drone strikes in late August that targeted energy and water infrastructure in Zawiya, approximately 47 kilometers west of Tripoli. Those attacks resulted in significant damage, including the destruction of a 4.5-million-liter gasoline tank and strikes on a desalination plant and power facilities. The NOC has expressed concerns that continued assaults could force it to suspend operations at the affected refinery.
The recent violence is linked to escalating rivalries among local militias, which have been exacerbated by disputes over territory and fuel smuggling. These conflicts have further complicated an already dire electricity crisis in Libya, which sparked protests across western regions of the country in July. Demonstrators, frustrated with the lack of basic services and calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, temporarily shut down gas lines at the Mellitah energy complex.
Libya has been mired in division and conflict since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that led to the overthrow of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. The country remains split, with Dbeibah’s government in control of the west and an eastern administration backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Efforts to resolve the political impasse have been ongoing. On August 30, representatives from the rival factions signed a UN-backed roadmap aimed at organizing presidential and parliamentary elections within a two-year timeframe under a unified executive authority. Additionally, a power-sharing initiative promoted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s adviser, Massad Boulos, seeks to address the political deadlock. However, some analysts, including Libyan academic Mustafa Fetouri, have raised concerns that this initiative could undermine the UN process and entrench the existing divisions between the Dbeibah and Haftar camps.
As Libya grapples with these challenges, the recent drone strike serves as a stark reminder of the precarious situation facing the country’s energy infrastructure and the broader implications for its stability.