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The Ministry of Oil and Gas of the Government of National Unity said on Sunday that the Board of Directors of the National Oil Corporation is in permanent session to follow up on developments in Al-Zawiya after declaring a state of force majeure following the exposure of a number of tanks in Zawiya oil refinery, during the early hours of Sunday, to fire as a result of armed clashes.

According to the ministry's statement, the tanks of Zawiya oil refinery were severely damaged, leading to serious fire as a result of being hit by gunfire from clashes in the area with light and medium weapons.

The ministry indicated that security and safety personnel were able to control the fire and leaks in the gas lines, and limit the risk of their spread despite the clashes around the refinery, which exposed the lives of workers and residents of the entire area to unpredictable risks.

The ministry called on the Government of National Unity to intervene to resolve these clashes in any way possible, given the great danger they posed to the lives of civilians in the event that the tanks in the refinery continued to be exposed to similar damage  due to the flammable materials these tanks contained.

One person was killed and ten others were injured in clashes between armed groups in the city of Al-Zawiya that broke out on Saturday night and continued until the early hours of Sunday. The clashes led to fire in the tanks of the Zawiya oil refinery, which led to the National Oil Corporation declaring a state of force majeure. 

The clashes took place around Zawiya refinery, the coastal road extending from the vegetable market bridge to the traffic light in Al-Harsha, in addition to the refinery road to the north. Uneasy calm descended on the city after the intervention of notables and residents of the area to stop the clashes and restore life to normal.