Firefighters extinguish blaze at Libyan oil port
Iran Press TV
1/2/2015 2:40:47 PM -- Firefighters have extinguished a blaze at Libya's largest oil port, al-Sidra, after a week, officials say.
'Firefighting teams extinguished the fire at two tanks (Thursday night) after having already controlled four other tanks,' said a local firefighter on Friday, adding, 'We can say that the extinguishing operation and fire control have been successfully completed.'
Al-Mabrook al-Buseif, the top official of the state-run National Oil Corporation of Libya, said on Tuesday that two tanks and up to 1.8 million barrels of crude had been destroyed in the blaze.
A rocket reportedly hit the al-Sidra oil export terminal on December 25 and set it on a massive fire.
Libya Dawn militants launched an offensive last month to control oil facilities in eastern Libya, which prompted a counterattack from military forces supporting the internationally recognized government headquartered in the eastern city of Tobruk.
Oil is the main income source for Libya, which is a member of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Libya plunged into chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator, Muammar Gaddafi. The ouster of Gaddafi gave rise to a patchwork of heavily-armed militias and deep political divisions.
The country has been witnessing numerous clashes between government forces and rival militia groups that refuse to lay down arms. The groups are now turning their guns on each other in an attempt to dominate politics and the country's vast oil resources.
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