Fires caused by fighting between ISIS and guards near Libya’s biggest oil ports have spread to five oil storage tanks that were still burning on Wednesday, a guards spokesman said.
Ali al-Hassi said the Petroleum Facilities Guards were in control of Es Sidra and Ras Lanuf ports, but that clashes continued.
At least nine guards were killed and more than 40 injured in fighting around the perimeter of the area on Monday and Tuesday. Hassi said guards had recovered bodies of 30 ISIS fighters, and had also captured two military tanks and other vehicles from the militants.
Four of the fires are at Es Sidra and one at Ras Lanuf. Two blazes were triggered by shelling from ISIS, and fire had spread to three more, Hassi said.
Mohamed al-Manfi, an oil official in eastern Libya, said each of the four oil tanks was estimated to contain 420,000 to 460,000 barrels of oil.