Libya Detains 5-Member Sabotage Cell Targeting Power, Oil Infrastructure

Libyan security authorities have apprehended what they describe as an “organized sabotage cell” that deployed drones to attack vital infrastructure in Tripoli and Al-Zawiya.

The Libyan newspaper Al-Wasat reported that the Ministry of Defense conducted an “intelligence and security operation” resulting in the detention of the cell, which it said was involved in suicide drone strikes targeting oil storage tanks in Tripoli and Al-Zawiya, as well as the Al-Zawiya power station.

Five suspects detained, wider plot uncovered

According to a statement issued by the Libyan interim government, the sabotage cell consists of five individuals—including both Libyans and foreigners—and was actively preparing additional attacks. Those pending operations included targeting the South Tripoli power station, along with other vital facilities and political, security, and military leadership figures.

National infrastructure targeted systematically

The interim government emphasized that available intelligence indicates these incidents were not isolated or random acts, but part of a broad, coordinated sabotage scheme involving multiple actors, methods, and objectives.

This scheme, the government stated, deliberately struck Libya’s critical infrastructure—specifically energy sources, oil installations, and electrical facilities—with the aim of undermining national resources and essential services directly tied to citizens’ security and livelihoods. The attacks occurred during a period of acute service strain across the country amid intense summer heat.