Libya’s UN-backed government launched airstrikes on fuel smuggling and drug trafficking sites in Zawiya, west of Tripoli, on Monday, according to a military statement.
The strikes reportedly targeted facilities in Asban, a semi-rural area near Zawiya, but no casualties have yet been confirmed. The Libyan Army urged residents to vacate areas it identified as hubs for trafficking and criminal activity.
Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew Moamer Kadhafi, with armed groups profiting from smuggling operations, including fuel and migrant trafficking.
In May 2023, similar drone strikes were conducted by the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU), killing at least two people. These operations follow long-standing tensions between the GNU and a rival administration in the east, backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Zawiya, home to Libya’s second-largest oil refinery, has been a focal point for smugglers transporting fuel across the border into Tunisia.
