Libya's Largest Refinery Is on Fire. Nobody Knows Who Did It. That Is the Real Problem.
Footage verified by Al Jazeera showed huge flames and thick black smoke billowing over the Zawiya oil refinery, the largest operating refinery in Libya with a refining capacity of 120,000 barrels per day, located about 40 kilometres west of the capital Tripoli. Firefighters battled through the night on Monday and were still working to extinguish the blaze by Tuesday afternoon. No casualties were reported. And no group has claimed responsibility. That last fact is the most telling detail in the entire story. A fire in a storage tank burns as firefighters work to control the blaze, at an oil refinery in Zawiya, Libya August 10, 2026. Three Attacks in Three Days The National Oil Corporation said the fire broke out on Monday evening at tank number 402-T, belonging to the Brega Oil Company. The tank, which contained about 4.5 million litres of gasoline, was directly targeted, resulting in a severe fire before the tank completely collapsed. The NOC said the attack followed drone strikes on a...