Reports of major ISIS attack on oil infrastructure near Ras Lanuf port, northern Libya

Militants affiliated with Islamic State have reportedly attacked a major Libyan oil pipeline and set on fire several crude storage tanks near the port of Ras Lanuf.

Photos posted on social media show huge plumes of black smoke rising from the ground.

James Wheeler ‏@wheelertweets 2 h2 ore fa

BREAKING: #ISIS/Daesh attack/explosion on oil pipeline from Amal Field near Ras Lanuf, 2 storage tanks now on fire

Collegamento permanente dell'immagine integrata

58 Retweet 8 Mi piace

The previous attack happened last week when an explosion hit an oil pipeline south of the port town.

Ras Lanuf is one of Libya’s biggest oil terminals and also has a large refinery. Militants loyal to Islamic State have staged several attacks on pipelines and other oil sites in the area over the past few weeks.

Last week Libya’s National Oil Corporation, which operates the Ras Lanuf terminal, said it had emptied storage tanks at the port as a precaution against further attacks.

Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) is gaining ground in Libya, which remains in a state of chaos after the toppling of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising of 2011.

The group has taken responsibility for, or is suspected of being behind, several attacks apparently aimed at seizing control of oil infrastructure.

rt.com