Fires at Libya's Zawiya Refinery Brought Under Control, NOC Says

General view of the Libyan state National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli, Libya July 14, 2022. REUTERS/Hazem Ahmed/File Photo
General view of the Libyan state National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli, Libya July 14, 2022. REUTERS/Hazem Ahmed/File Photo
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Fires at Libya's Zawiya Refinery Brought Under Control, NOC Says

General view of the Libyan state National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli, Libya July 14, 2022. REUTERS/Hazem Ahmed/File Photo
General view of the Libyan state National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli, Libya July 14, 2022. REUTERS/Hazem Ahmed/File Photo

Fires that broke out in a number of reservoirs in Libya's Zawiya refinery have been brought under control, Khaled Abulgasem Gulam, spokesperson for the country's National Oil Corporation (NOC), said in a statement on Sunday.

Zawiya, 40 km (25 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, is home to Libya's biggest functioning refinery, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. The refinery is connected to the country's 300,000 bpd Sharara oilfield.

Teams at the refinery are transferring the remaining contents to other reservoirs, Gulam said, Reuters reported.

Earlier on Sunday, NOC declared force majeure after reservoirs at the Zawiya refinery were severely damaged due to ongoing clashes between armed groups in its vicinity.

There was no immediate indications of who was involved in the violence or the reason for it.

NOC posted pictures on Facebook showing firefighting teams extinguishing the fires.

Libya's oil sector, a major source of income for the country, has been a target for local and broader political protests as well as security unrest since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.



US Says Rubio Held Call with Yemeni PM to Discuss Houthi Attacks

A protester carries a mock rocket during a pro-Palestinian rally in Sanaa, Yemen, 22 January 2025. (EPA)
A protester carries a mock rocket during a pro-Palestinian rally in Sanaa, Yemen, 22 January 2025. (EPA)
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US Says Rubio Held Call with Yemeni PM to Discuss Houthi Attacks

A protester carries a mock rocket during a pro-Palestinian rally in Sanaa, Yemen, 22 January 2025. (EPA)
A protester carries a mock rocket during a pro-Palestinian rally in Sanaa, Yemen, 22 January 2025. (EPA)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak on Friday and discussed cooperation to stop attacks by the Houthi militias in the region and eliminate their capabilities, the State Department said.

They discussed the importance of ending the Houthi threat to the Red Sea maritime security and surrounding waterways.

They also shared concerns regarding unlawful Houthi detentions of diplomatic, UN, and NGO staff, including current and former Yemeni staff of the US Mission to Yemen, as well as the most recent detentions of additional UN staff.

Rubio highlighted President Donald Trump’s Executive Order re-designating the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization as a critical step toward curbing the group.

He added that he looks forward to continuing to support the Yemeni government in confronting the Iran-backed Houthis.