Remote-controlled drone targets Libyan fuel depot weeks after another attack destroyed 4.5-million-litre tank

The latest attack occurred at Brega Petroleum Marketing Company’s fuel depot on Airport Road on Thursday, according to Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation.

Reuters reported⁠ that falling shrapnel caused minor damage to pipelines and storage tanks numbered 213 and 220.

No casualties were recorded and the incident did not interrupt fuel-distribution operations.

Technical teams nevertheless began removing fuel from the tanks to lower their contents and reduce the risk of a fire or explosion.

The NOC placed emergency teams at its facilities on heightened alert and called on Libya’s security and military authorities to increase protection around the country’s oil infrastructure.

“The attempt to target oil facilities with these sabotage operations is a dangerous indicator,” the Libya Herald⁠ quoted the company as saying in a statement.

No group has claimed responsibility. Libyan authorities have not identified the operator, origin or precise type of the drone.

Latest attack reaches Libya’s fuel-distribution network

The Tripoli depot is operated by Brega Petroleum Marketing Company, an NOC subsidiary responsible for supplying and distributing petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and cooking gas across Libya.

That makes the latest incident different from an attack aimed solely at crude-oil production or exports. Damage to Brega’s storage and distribution system could eventually affect filling stations, airports, businesses and households if attacks become more destructive or frequent.

Ahmed al-Masallati, a spokesperson for Brega, said fuel supplies continued normally after the incident. The company did not disclose how much fuel was held in the two affected tanks or how long repairs would take.

The NOC, however, described attacks on oil facilities as a direct threat to Libya’s fuel-supply system.

That concern is intensified by what happened approximately three weeks earlier at Zawiya, a strategically important energy centre about 45 kilometres west of Tripoli.

Previous drones destroyed a 4.5-million-litre tank

Several explosive-laden drones struck facilities around the Zawiya oil complex between 8 and 10 August.

The attacks affected a naphtha reservoir, a water-desalination plant and fuel-storage infrastructure. One drone ignited a petrol tank containing approximately 4.5 million litres, causing it to collapse.

Another drone reportedly fell near a second tank without causing casualties.

The National Oil Corporation declared a maximum state of emergency as firefighters attempted to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to surrounding tanks.

Reuters reported after the fire⁠ that sections of the complex were temporarily shut, disrupting fuel distribution in parts of western Libya. Operations were subsequently restored.

The refinery itself avoided extensive damage, but the attacks demonstrated how relatively inexpensive unmanned aircraft could endanger facilities storing millions of litres of highly flammable products.

The NOC warned at the time that continued attacks could force it to declare force majeure, a contractual measure used when circumstances beyond an operator’s control prevent it from meeting its obligations.

A day after the refinery attacks, another strike destroyed the South Zawiya electricity substation. More than 700 megawatts of the nearby power station’s 1,300MW capacity became unavailable, contributing to outages.

US engineering company GE withdrew technical teams from the power station because of the deteriorating security situation.

Authorities did not publicly establish that the attacks on the fuel facilities and electricity substation were carried out by the same people.

Zawiya is central to Libya’s energy system

The Zawiya complex contains Libya’s largest operating refinery, which can process approximately 120,000 barrels of crude oil daily.

It is also connected to the Sharara field, one of the country’s largest producing oilfields, through pipelines that carry crude northwards for processing and export.

The site has repeatedly been affected by armed clashes, blockades and political disputes since the 2011 uprising that removed Muammar Gaddafi.

The August drone attacks introduced another layer of risk. Armed groups no longer need to enter a tightly guarded facility or control surrounding roads to damage tanks, pipelines and electricity infrastructure.

They can deploy small unmanned aircraft carrying explosives from a distance, making it more difficult to protect a network of refineries, depots, pipelines and power installations spread across western Libya.

Oil wealth remains exposed to political division

Libya possesses Africa’s largest proven crude-oil reserves and depends heavily on petroleum for exports and government income.

Its oil sector generated approximately $15.2 billion during the first half of 2026, but that political division, subsidies, smuggling and repeated production disruptions continue to weaken the benefits of that resource wealth.

The country has remained divided between rival political and military authorities since the collapse of Gaddafi’s government.

The internationally recognised Government of National Unity operates from Tripoli, while authorities aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar control much of eastern and southern Libya.

Oil installations have frequently become bargaining tools during disputes over political power, public spending and the distribution of petroleum revenue. Production has been stopped at different times by armed groups, protesters and political authorities.

There is no evidence, however, linking either of Libya’s rival administrations or any named armed group to the latest drone incident.

The purpose of the attacks also remains unclear. They could have been intended to disrupt fuel supplies, damage economic infrastructure or exert political pressure, but none of those explanations has been established.

Libya wants investment while infrastructure remains vulnerable

The attacks come as Libya tries to attract more than $40 billion into its oil sector and raise production towards two million barrels per day.

That ambition requires international companies to invest in ageing pipelines, fields, refineries and export terminals.

However, repeated attacks increase security costs and make it more difficult to guarantee that new infrastructure will remain operational.

The latest incident did not create a fuel shortage. It nevertheless moved the threat from Zawiya’s industrial complex to a distribution depot inside the capital.