Drone Attacks Ignite Fires, Cripple Power Infrastructure in Libya's Zawiya

A drone attack on Wednesday ignited a fire at an electrical facility in the western Libyan city of Zawiya, completely destroying a substation and disrupting power supply to several southern districts. The affected substation is crucial for transmitting electricity from the power plant to residential and commercial areas.

Zawiya, located about 47 kilometers west of Tripoli and home to roughly 250,000 people, has become a frequent target of drone strikes in recent times, with previous attacks aimed at its vital oil and energy infrastructure. The city hosts significant energy facilities, including Libya's largest oil refinery, an export terminal, and a power generation plant.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest attack. However, the Prime Minister of Libya's western-based government, Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, denounced the assaults on energy and electrical infrastructure as serious crimes and an escalation of tensions that would not go unaddressed.

This incident follows a series of recent attacks. On Monday, a drone struck a fuel-laden tank at the Zawiya refinery, causing a major fire that took over 15 hours to extinguish. The refinery reportedly sustained further attacks on Tuesday and over the weekend. The Zawiya power plant itself was targeted by two drones on Tuesday; one damaged its firefighting system, while the other fell near a main fuel storage facility, triggering a significant blaze.

Adding to the disruption, U.S. company General Electric (GE), which supplied equipment to the power plant, has reportedly withdrawn its workforce until safe working conditions are ensured. GE had previously removed staff due to safety concerns, resulting in over 700 megawatts of the Zawiya plant's generation capacity being offline. The plant's total capacity is approximately 1,300 megawatts.

The attacks occur amid rising tensions between Dbeibah's government and militia commander Mohamed Bahroun, who controls Zawiya. Much of western Libya is dominated by local militias loosely affiliated with the Tripoli-based government. Libya has been politically divided for years between two rival administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign powers. The violence unfolds as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visits Tripoli to meet with Dbeibah and the Chairman of the Presidential Council, Mohammad Younes Menfi.