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| Libya: Fighting erupts near Ras Lanuf and Sidra oil terminals | Libya: Fighting erupts near Ras Lanuf and Sidra oil terminals |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Forces loyal to a Libyan general have attacked key oil terminals held by allies of the UN-backed government. | Forces loyal to a Libyan general have attacked key oil terminals held by allies of the UN-backed government. |
| Gen Khalifa Haftar's fighters say they took control of the Ras Lanuf and Sidra terminals but a militia guarding them denied the claim for BBC News. | Gen Khalifa Haftar's fighters say they took control of the Ras Lanuf and Sidra terminals but a militia guarding them denied the claim for BBC News. |
| The militia did confirm coming under attack on Sunday morning and said there had been a number of casualties. | The militia did confirm coming under attack on Sunday morning and said there had been a number of casualties. |
| Libya has been plagued by instability and infighting since the toppling of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. | Libya has been plagued by instability and infighting since the toppling of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. |
| Oil production has dropped to about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the 1.6m bpd it was producing before Gaddafi's fall, Reuters news agency reports. | |
| Gen Haftar, a former commander in Gaddafi's army who later worked to topple him from exile, is one of the most powerful military figures in Libya. | Gen Haftar, a former commander in Gaddafi's army who later worked to topple him from exile, is one of the most powerful military figures in Libya. |
| He refuses to recognise the authority of the UN-backed Government of National Accord in the capital Tripoli, and is loyal to a rival government based in the eastern city of Tobruk. | He refuses to recognise the authority of the UN-backed Government of National Accord in the capital Tripoli, and is loyal to a rival government based in the eastern city of Tobruk. |
| The general leads the Libyan National Army, an umbrella group of army units and other forces loyal to them. | |
| Ras Lanuf and Sidra together account for more than half of Libya's output of oil. | |
| A spokesman for the Petroleum Facilities Guard militia, Ali Alhassi, told the BBC the attack had started at 07:30 (05:30 GMT) and fighting had also been reported at Zuitina. | A spokesman for the Petroleum Facilities Guard militia, Ali Alhassi, told the BBC the attack had started at 07:30 (05:30 GMT) and fighting had also been reported at Zuitina. |
| There were casualties but he could not give any confirmed numbers, he added. | There were casualties but he could not give any confirmed numbers, he added. |
| Ahmed al-Masmari, a spokesman for Gen Haftar's forces, told reporters they had taken Ras Lanuf and Sidra and were still fighting for Zuitina. | Ahmed al-Masmari, a spokesman for Gen Haftar's forces, told reporters they had taken Ras Lanuf and Sidra and were still fighting for Zuitina. |
| The UK Ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, tweeted to say reports of fighting around Libya's oil terminals were "worrying". | The UK Ambassador to Libya, Peter Millett, tweeted to say reports of fighting around Libya's oil terminals were "worrying". |
| Martin Kobler, head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, tweeted: "worried about reported fighting in the oil crescent. will add to division and further restricting oil exports. oil belongs to ALL libyans." | Martin Kobler, head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, tweeted: "worried about reported fighting in the oil crescent. will add to division and further restricting oil exports. oil belongs to ALL libyans." |