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A drone strike set Zawiya's electrical substation ablaze and knocked it out of service. The attack has intensified concern over Libya's vulnerable energy network and escalating political tensions.
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Cairo,UPDATED: Aug 12, 2026 23:08 IST
A drone strike set an electrical substation on fire in western Libya on Wednesday, knocking it out of service and adding to a series of attacks on the country's oil and power infrastructure. The latest strike hit Zawiya, a city with key energy facilities, as tensions rise in the region.
The state-run General Electricity Company said the substation, which links power plants to homes and businesses, was completely burned down. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which come amid growing friction between Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah's government in western Libya and Mohamed Bahroun, who controls Zawiya.
The company said the attack caused power cuts in southern parts of Zawiya, a city of about 2,50,000 people located around 47 kilometres west of Tripoli. Footage shared by the company showed huge flames and fireballs rising from the facility. Zawiya is home to major energy sites, including Libya's largest oil refinery, an export terminal and a power plant.
Dbeibah condemned the strikes on energy and power sites as "a serious crime and an escalation that will not go unanswered". In a statement, he said, "We will reach those responsible for this attack, and the accountability will be firm. No one will be protected by their position, status, or influence."
The attack followed more strikes earlier this week. On Monday, a drone hit a fuel tank at Zawiya's refinery, starting a large fire that firefighters battled for more than 15 hours. The state-run Oil Corporation said the refinery was also attacked repeatedly over the weekend and on Tuesday. The electricity company said the power plant was hit by two drones on Tuesday, with one damaging its firefighting system and the other landing near the main fuel storage area and setting it on fire.
After Tuesday's attack on the power plant, the electricity company said US firm General Electric withdrew its teams from the site "until security conditions and a suitable and safe work environment are ensured". GE carries out maintenance and upgrading work at the plant. The company said GE had earlier pulled out its staff over security concerns, extending the loss of more than 700 megawatts from the station's estimated 1,300-megawatt production capacity.
Libya has for years been split between rival administrations backed by armed groups and foreign powers. Dbeibah governs western Libya, while Prime Minister Ossama Hammad's administration controls the east. The latest violence came as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Dbeibah and Presidential Council chairman Mohammad Younes Menfi in Tripoli on Tuesday, before travelling on Wednesday to Benghazi for talks with military commander Khalifa Hifter. Turkey is the main foreign backer of Dbeibah's government, though it has also engaged with eastern authorities in recent years.
The latest drone strike in Zawiya has further exposed the fragility of Libya's energy network, with repeated attacks hitting power and oil facilities as political and security tensions remain high across the divided country.
With PTI Inputs
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Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Aug 12, 2026 23:08 IST
