Libya pro-government raid hits oil tanker

Forces loyal to Libya's internationally recognised government carried out an air strike Sunday on an oil tanker delivering its cargo to a power plant run by the rival administration, a report said.

The General Electricity Company denounced as "sabotage" the attack at the plant near Sirte, in central Libya, saying it was likely to cause disruptions to power supplies across the country due to a lack of fuel.

The vessel, Anwar, had been transporting a light load of fuel from Greece, said the plant's deputy director Hassan al-Farjani, quoted by LANA, the former state news agency now in the hands of Islamist-backed authorities in Tripoli.

The raid, which LANA said was conducted by forces loyal to army chief General Khalifa Haftar, caused a fire on board and several injuries among crew members, as well as employees at the plant.

Flames rose from the ship as firefighters battled to prevent an explosion and a potential ecological disaster, the Electricity Company said in a statement quoted by the agency.

There was no immediate comment from the authorities recognised by the international community.

The Islamist-backed Fajr Libya alliance seized Tripoli last year after weeks of bloody fighting with forces backing the recognised government, which then fled to the east of the country.
Source: AFP