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Gunmen stormed Monday the headquarters of the Libyan national oil company in Tripoli, killing at least two people, officials said, as witnesses spoke of an explosion and gunfire.
The attack targeted the country's vital oil sector, repeatedly disrupted by violence since the 2011 uprising against the late dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
According to witnesses, the building near the city center caught fire and was quickly surrounded by security services, which evacuated its staff, including NOC President Mustafa Sanallah.
Two people were killed and 10 wounded, the health ministry said. Sanallah confirmed to Libyan news channel 218 that staff had been killed and others injured, some of whom were in "serious condition".
"The security services are looking for gunmen in the building, but our priority is to evacuate the civilians trapped inside," said Ahmed Ben Salem, spokesman for the deterrent force.
"The situation is under control," he added.
He was not able to provide details on the identity of the attackers.
The deterrent force has described the terrorist incident as "terrorist" and has posted on his Facebook page photos showing the remains of suicide bombers.
An oil company official, who requested anonymity, said masked gunmen had exchanged fire with guards and attacked the company's headquarters.
"I jumped out the window with other colleagues, and then we heard an explosion," said the manager.
No group has until now claimed the attack.
Earlier this month, days of clashes between rival armed groups in Tripoli left at least 63 people dead before a fragile UN-backed ceasefire was established.
The attack on the NOC headquarters comes four months after suicide bombers hit the headquarters of the Libyan Electoral Commission, killing 14 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.
The group invaded Sirte, the hometown of Gaddafi, 600 kilometers east of Tripoli, in 2015. The IS was driven out by government forces and allied militias in December 2016, but continued to carry out attacks.
– Repeated disturbances –
Libya's vital oil sector has been repeatedly disrupted by violence since the 2011 NATO-backed rebellion that toppled Gaddafi, two rival governments and various armed groups fighting for control of the country's resources.
The NOC was forced to suspend exports of the four main terminals in the east of the country after the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) of Khalifa Haftar, a strongman of the army, regained control total of a rival militia in June.
The NOC has declared force majeure on oil shipments in ports, a legal measure that releases parties to a contract from their obligations due to circumstances beyond their control.
The decision added worries about world markets at a time of rising crude oil prices.
But in July, the NOC announced that production would resume in the ports of Al-Hariga, Zweitina, Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra, which constitute a large part of the country's oil and gas sales.
Petrochemical exports accounted for about 95 percent of the state's revenue under the Gaddafi regime, with production of 1.6 million barrels a day.
But after its ousting, production fell to about 20% of this level, before rising to over a million barrels a day by the end of 2017.
Last week, the NOC announced its intention to increase oil revenues by 80% to 23 billion dollars, against 13 billion in 2017.
Despite year-to-date disruptions, its year-to-date revenue for the month of July reached $ 13.6 billion, exceeding the total for 2017.
The cartel of OPEC oil producers has estimated Libya's oil reserves at 48 billion barrels, the largest in Africa.
Firefighters and onlookers gathered outside the headquarters of the Libyan national oil company in the capital, Tripoli, after an attack on September 10, 2018
Firefighters and onlookers gathered in front of the headquarters of the Libyan national oil company in the capital Tripoli on September 10, 2018. Gunmen attacked the building in Tripoli where an explosion and gunshots were heard.
