Libya's
foreign minister said Sunday that extremist groups are making a renewed push to
seize oil resources, after an assault on eastern terminals set storage tanks
ablaze, sending massive clouds of black smoke into the sky.
Foreign
Minister Mohamed Dayri, speaking in Cairo, said the assault was carried out by
militias based in the western city of Misrata and loyal to the rival
Islamist-backed government in Tripoli. He said extremist groups have joined the
attack, which forced a shutdown of the country's largest shipping terminal.
An oil
corporation official, Mohammed al-Harari, said late Saturday that 850,000
barrels of oil were lost because of the fire in five storage tanks.
Fighting
has erupted around Libya's largest oil terminal, Sidra, which is currently
under the control of anti-Islamist militiamen allied with the internationally
recognized government based in the far eastern city of Tobruk. The
Tripoli-based government had vowed to "liberate" Sidra earlier this
month.
Airstrikes
were reported on Sunday in Misrata for the first time, in what appeared to be a
response to the attack on the oil terminals. Ahmed al-Musmari, spokesman for
the Tobruk-led army, told Libya's al-Wasat news website that airstrikes
targeted bases used to attack his troops.
A
security official in Misrata said the airstrikes were near the airport, with
one missile striking 300 meters from an airport tower but missing the tarmac.
The official, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to brief reporters,
said the airstrike caused the suspension of a Turkish Airlines flight but no
casualties.
Dayri,
the foreign minister for the Tobruk government, said extremists, some of whom
have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, have expanded their presence
in Libya, including to the capital.
"We
as Libyans are concerned. But the Arab world and the international community
should be too because of the desire of these extremist terrorist groups to
reach oil resources and revenues. This is a dangerous matter," Dayri said.
U.N.-sponsored
talks between the rival governments are scheduled for Jan. 5. The U.N. Support
Mission in Libya condemned the airstrikes in Misrata.
(pennergy.com,
Dec. 29)