Libya drone strike burns Zawiya substation, deepening energy security fears

Cairo,UPDATED: Aug 12, 2026 14:34 IST

A drone strike set an electrical facility on fire in western Libya on Wednesday, knocking it out of service in the latest in a string of attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure. The attacks have raised fears of fresh instability in a country already split between rival administrations.

The state-run General Electricity Company said a power substation in Zawiya was completely burned down in the strike. The attack caused power cuts in the southern parts of the city, while footage shared by the company showed huge flames and fireballs rising from the facility.

Zawiya, a city of about 250,000 people, is home to major energy infrastructure, including Libya’s largest oil refinery, an export terminal and a power plant. The company said the destroyed substation links power plants to homes and businesses. No group has claimed responsibility for the latest drone strikes.

Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, prime minister of one of Libya’s two rival governments, condemned the attacks on energy and power facilities as “a serious crime and an escalation that will not go unanswered”.

“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,” he said in a statement.

The latest strike came after another drone attack on Monday hit a fuel-laden tank at Zawiya’s refinery, causing a major fire that firefighters battled for more than 15 hours. The state-run Oil Corporation said the refinery was attacked repeatedly on Tuesday and over the weekend.

The city’s power plant was also hit by two drones on Tuesday, according to the electricity company. It said one drone damaged the plant’s firefighting system, while the second landed near the main fuel storage area and set it on fire.

The attacks have come amid rising tensions between the western Libyan government and warlord Mohamed Bahroun, who controls Zawiya. Much of western Libya is controlled by local militias loosely allied to Dbeibah’s government in Tripoli. Libya has for years remained divided between rival authorities backed by armed groups and foreign governments, with Dbeibah governing the west and Prime Minister Ossama Hammad’s administration controlling the east.

After Tuesday’s attack on the power plant, the electricity company said US firm General Electric pulled its teams out of the facility “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 previously withdrawn staff from the facility over security concerns, extending the loss of more than 700 megawatts from the Zawiya power station’s estimated 1,300-megawatt capacity.

The violence took place as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was in Tripoli for meetings with Dbeibah and Mohammad Younes Menfi, chairman of the Presidential Council. Turkey is the main foreign backer of Dbeibah’s government, though it has in recent years also engaged with eastern Libyan authorities as part of wider regional efforts to bridge divisions in the country.

Libya, an oil-rich Mediterranean country, has faced years of conflict since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that turned into civil war and toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gadhafi. The latest strikes on Zawiya’s power and oil facilities have added to pressure on key infrastructure in the divided country.

With PTI Inputs

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