The National Oil Corporation said in a statement today, Friday, that a cargo ship that was scheduled to go to load scrap from the port of Ras Lanuf was exposed to fire and terrorism by armed groups affiliated with the Petroleum Facilities Guard, according to the corporation’s statement.
The NOC stated in its statement that the ship Mohamed Bey, registered in the Comoros Islands, was supposed to dock in the commercial part of the port of Ras Lanuf at exactly 11:00 am this Friday morning to load scrap, but a group of militants belonging to the Petroleum Facilities Guard, among them were foreign mercenaries.
The NOC said they forced the ship to enter the port at 2 o’clock this morning. They intimidated the ship’s crew by firing bullets and using live ammunition and RPGs in an area where there were stores of dangerous and inflammable materials.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Oil Corporation, Mustafa Sanallah, commented on the accident, saying: “This accident is the latest in a series of failures of the so-called Petroleum Facilities Guard. They have once again shown their absolute lack of professionalism, and their disregard for the rule of law. The kind of unacceptable behavior could have led to a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe, and we call on all parties and the international community to support an immediate end to the military presence in all Libyan oil installations, as well as to replace the failed PFG, saying all military groups, especially foreign mercenaries, must withdraw from these installations on the spot. ”
