The National Oil Corporation (NOC) has expressed deep concerns at the serious deterioration in the security situation in areas surrounding oil facilities in the Gulf of Sirte.
NOC said in a statement that violent clashes took place over the past 48 hours in the Brega region, only hundreds of meters away from oil tanks.
“The warring groups exchanged gunfire using medium-sized, 23mm-caliber firearms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), which reflects the lack of responsibility and military discipline among these armed groups, whose actions jeopardize oil facilities and threaten the safety of NOC workers as well the residents in the surrounding areas,” read the statement.
NOC called for an end to the militarization of its installations and the restructuring of security arrangements in oil regions to be under the protection of a professional, disciplined and independent security force.