Drone strike in western Libya torches a power substation, triggering outages

A drone strike ignited a fire at an electrical substation in western Libya on Wednesday, knocking the facility out of service in the latest of a wave of attacks on energy and oil infrastructure that threaten to plunge the country into further chaos.

The state-run General Electricity Company said in a statement that a power substation in the city of Zawiya that links power plants to homes and businesses was completely burned down.

The city of about 250,000 people has been rattled by a series of drone strikes that hit oil and power facilities. Zawiya is home to critical energy infrastructure, including Libya’s largest oil refinery, an export terminal and a power plant.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the drone strikes.

Read more: Associated Press