BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Forces loyal to east Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar on Sunday seized at least two key oil ports from a rival force loyal to the U.N.-backed government, risking a new conflict over the OPEC nation’s resources.

A general view of pipelines at the Zueitina oil terminal in Zueitina, west of Benghazi April 7, 2014. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori/File Photo

Ahmed al-Mismari, a spokesman for Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), said its fighters had full control of Es Sider, Ras Lanuf, Brega and Zueitina after launching an early morning military operation on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid.

The attacks on Libya’s major oil ports by Haftar, who opposes the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), could derail efforts to restart production. Those efforts are seen as critical to saving Libya’s economy and helping the GNA survive.

The National Oil Corporation in Tripoli confirmed LNA control of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, while the situation in Brega and Zueitina could not be independently verified.

Armed conflict, political disputes and militant attacks have reduced Libya’s oil production to about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the 1.6 million bpd it was producing before an uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Western states have backed the GNA to stabilize a country where chaos allowed Islamist militants and migrant smugglers to operate across swathes of territory.

But Haftar, a former army general who has been a divisive figure in post-Gaddafi Libya, has resisted attempts to integrate him into unified armed forces and overcome divisions between factions in the east and west.

Many in western Libya and Tripoli criticize Haftar as a former Gaddafi ally bent on establishing a military dictatorship, but he has become a political figurehead for many in the east who feel abandoned by the capital.

A government and parliament based in the east still resist the GNA’s authority in Tripoli and they have in the past tried to sell crude themselves.

In a statement released late on Sunday, the GNA’s leadership, or Presidential Council, called the attacks an “unjustified escalation” that would “prolong the period of conflict” in Libya.

EXPORT QUESTIONS

The ports targeted by the LNA were previously under the control of the Petrol Facilities Guard (PFG), whose leader, Ibrahim Jathran, struck a deal with the GNA in July to end its blockade of Ras Lanuf, Es Sider and Zueitina.

But although the National Oil Corporation (NOC) recently offered two cargos for export from Ras Lanuf, there had been little sign of any rapid resumption of production in recent weeks, and control by Haftar’s brigades could make the deal irrelevant.

Mismari said the LNA had been able to seize Ras Lanuf and Es Sider quickly because it had won over local tribes before staging a rapid advance. “This force was being prepared for a long time, and it entered without any resistance from Jathran’s forces,” he told Reuters.

One witness said there had been a heavy deployment of LNA armored vehicles around Ras Lanuf and Es Sider.

Akram Buhaliqa, a second LNA spokesman, said there had been no casualties among LNA forces, although the NOC said a small fuel tank for power generation had been set ablaze in Es Sider.

General view of the industrial zone at the oil port of Ras Lanuf March 11, 2014. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori/File Photo

On Sunday afternoon, residents said LNA forces had taken control of a large house belonging to Jathran’s family in a residential district of Ajdabiya following clashes.

Jathran’s exact whereabouts were not clear but in an appeal broadcast on a pro-Haftar TV station, the leader of the eastern Magharba tribe, Saleh al-Ateiwish, called on Jathran to return to the tribe and “to ask his people to surrender and let them go to their families without any losses”.

Ras Lanuf and Es Sider were badly damaged earlier this year in attacks by Islamic State militants based in Sirte, where they are on the verge of defeat by forces aligned with the GNA backed by U.S. air strikes.</s>The United States and five European powers called on Monday on forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar to withdraw from several key oil ports seized from a rival force over the weekend.

"We call for all military forces that have moved into the oil crescent to withdraw immediately, without preconditions," said the statement from the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain.

Forces loyal to Haftar took control of Ras Lanuf, Es Sider, Zueitina and Brega ports, displacing a force that is allied to the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar took control of key oil ports in Ras Lanuf, Es Sider and Brega on Sunday, said Ahmed al-Masmari, a spokesman for the forces.

But an official from the force that previously controlled the ports, the Petrol Facilities Guard, said there was still fighting at Ras Lanuf.

Masmari said clashes were continuing at another oil port, Zueitina, and around the nearby town of Ajdabiya. (Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Patrick Markey)</s>This file photo taken on January 8 shows smoke billowing from a petroleum storage tank after a fire was extinguished following fighting at Al Sidra oil terminal, near Ras Lanuf in the so-called ‘oil crescent’ along Libya’s northern coast (AFP photo)

BENGHAZI, Libya — Forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar on Sunday seized at least two key oil ports from a rival force loyal to the UN-backed government, risking a new conflict over the OPEC nation’s resources.

Ahmed Al Masmari, a spokesman for Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), said LNA fighters seized control of Es Sider, Ras Lanuf and Brega, but still faced resistance at the port of Zueitina and around the nearby town of Ajdabiya.

The attacks on Libya’s major oil ports by Haftar, who opposes the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), pushes the North African state towards a broader battle over its oil resources and disrupts attempts to restart production.

Armed conflict, political disputes and militant attacks have reduced Libya’s oil production to about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 1.6 million bpd it was producing before an uprising and fall of Muammar Qadhafi in 2011.

Haftar, a former army general who has been a divisive figure in Libya since Qadhafi was toppled, has resisted attempts to integrate him into a unified armed forces and overcome divisions between the east and west regions.

Many in western Libya and Tripoli criticise Haftar as a former Qadhafi ally bent on establishing a military dictatorship, but he has become a political figurehead for many in the east who feel abandoned by the capital.

The state-run National Oil Corporation confirmed Ras Lanuf and Es Sider were under full control of Haftar forces while Zueitina was still held by loyalist forces.

The attacks complicate Western attempts to bring together Libya’s rival armed factions under the GNA and stabilise a country where chaos allowed militants and migrant smugglers to operate across swathes of territory.

Control by Haftar’s brigades will also raise questions for the market about the legality of crude exports by a force opposed to the internationally recognised government in Tripoli.

A government and parliament based in the east still resist the GNA’s authority in Tripoli and they have in the past threatened to try to sell crude themselves.

The ports targeted by the LNA were previously under the control of the Petrol Facilities Guard (PFG), which struck a deal with the GNA in July to end its blockade of Ras Lanuf, Es Sider and Zueitina.

A port engineer confirmed that Haftar’s forces had entered Ras Lanuf and Es Sider, Libya’s largest, and said a tank at Es Sider had been set alight in the clashes. The NOC said the blaze was in a small fuel tank for power generation.

The LNA’s claims of control could not immediately be verified and Ali Al Hassi, a PFG spokesman, said fighting was continuing at Ras Lanuf.

In recent weeks, as the PFG struck its deal with the GNA to try to restart exports, the LNA mobilised in the area leading to fears of a struggle for control.

Libya’s National Oil Corporation has been removing oil stored at Zueitina because of fears it could be lost during any clashes.

Ras Lanuf and Es Sider were badly damaged earlier this year in attacks by the Daesh terror group militants based in Sirte, where they are currently on the verge of defeat by forces aligned with the GNA backed by US air strikes.</s>BENGHAZI, Libya, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar launched attacks at ports in Libya's oil crescent on Sunday and clashed with guards who control the terminals, a guards spokesman and a resident said.

Petrol Facilities Guard spokesman Ali al-Hassi said Haftar's forces had attacked at Zueitina, Ras Lanuf, and Es Sider ports, as well as the nearby town of Ajdabiya, and clashes were continuing. (Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Andrew Heavens)</s>Forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar launched attacks at ports in Libya’s oil crescent on Sunday and clashed with guards who control the terminals, a guards spokesman and a resident said.

Petrol Facilities Guard (PFG) spokesman Ali al-Hassi said Haftar’s forces had attacked at Zueitina, Ras Lanuf, and Es Sider ports, as well as the nearby town of Ajdabiya, and clashes were continuing.

A port engineer confirmed that Haftar’s forces had entered the oil ports of Ras Lanuf and El Sider, Libya’s largest, and said one of the storage tanks at Es Sider had been set alight in the clashes.

Both ports have been closed since late 2014 but the Petrol Facilities Guard recently struck a deal with the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli to reopen them and attempt to resume exports.

The PFG also said it would reopen Zueitina, but Haftar’s forces, known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), mobilised in the area leading to fears of a struggle for control.

Haftar and other power brokers in the east have opposed the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), preventing it from extending its authority to eastern Libya. The GNA entered Tripoli in March.

No one from the LNA could immediately be reached for comment on Sunday.

Ras Lanuf and Es Sider were badly damaged earlier this year in attacks by Islamic State militants based in Sirte, where they are currently on the verge of defeat by forces aligned with the GNA backed by U.S. air strikes.

Libya’s National Oil Corporation has been removing oil stored at Zueitina because of fears it could be lost during clashes.</s>Western powers call on Libyan forces that seized ports to withdraw

TUNIS, Sept 12 (Reuters) - The United States and five European powers on Monday urged forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar to withdraw from several key oil ports seized from a rival force over the weekend.

Fighters loyal to Haftar took control of the ports of Ras Lanuf, Es Sider, Zueitina and Brega, displacing a force allied to the United Nations-backed government in Tripoli. The seizure threatened to reignite conflict over Libya's oil resources and disrupt efforts by the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord to revive oil production and exports.

"We call for all military forces that have moved into the oil crescent to withdraw immediately, without preconditions," the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain said in a joint statement.

The western powers condemned the attacks on the ports and affirmed their intent to enforce a U.N. Security Council resolution designed to prevent what they called "illicit" oil exports.

Eastern Libyan factions allied to Haftar had previously tried to export oil independently of the government and the National Oil Corporation in Tripoli.

Libya's oil infrastructure, production and export must remain under the control of the corporation acting under the Government of National Accord, the western countries said in their statement.

U.N. Libya envoy Martin Kobler, in a separate statement, expressed "grave concern" at fighting around the oil ports, and called on forces who seized the terminals to refrain from further military escalation.

"Attacks on the oil terminals further threaten the stability and lead to a greater division of the country," Kobler said. "They further restrict the oil exports and add to people's suffering."</s>TUNIS/BENGHAZI, Libya, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Libyan forces loyal to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar said on Monday they had tightened their control over four major oil ports, casting a Western-backed project to unite Libya and revive oil exports into deep uncertainty.

Haftar's forces met little resistance as they seized the terminals at Ras Lanuf, Es Sider, Zueitina and Brega in an operation launched on Sunday, displacing a rival armed faction aligned with the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

The advance is the latest power struggle over the OPEC nation's energy assets, after the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi and the chaos that followed left the North African country splintered into competing rival armed factions.

Haftar opposes the Tripoli government and has resisted its attempts to integrate his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) into unified armed forces. His seizure of the ports risks a response from powerful western brigades allied with the government and a deepening of regional divisions.

But Tripoli may seek a deal with Haftar - similar to the agreement it struck with the armed faction he has displaced - to restart the oil exports it needs to stave off a financial crisis that could paralyse government operations.

Conflict and political disputes have reduced Libya's oil output and exports to a fraction of the level seen before an uprising toppled late dictator Gaddafi five years ago.

In a statement signalling a willingness to get oil flowing, Haftar's LNA said late on Sunday it would secure the ports to "return operational responsibility to the National Oil Corporation with a guarantee of non-interference by armed forces in operational activities and exports".

Just a year ago, Libya had two rival governments, one in Tripoli and one in the east, each backed by competing factions of armed brigades and laying claims to the country's oil resources.

A unity deal brokered by the United Nations, signed by rival factions in December despite opposition from hardliners, was meant to end the divide. As a result of the agreement, the GNA arrived in Tripoli in March, backed by Western powers to stabilise a country where lawlessness allowed Islamist militants and migrant smugglers to operate across swathes of territory.

Since then, however, some political and tribal leaders in the east have withheld their support, worried that the new government is a vehicle for opponents in the west. The LNA has strengthened its position, making military gains in and around Benghazi against Islamist-led opponents before taking control of the ports.

Many people in Tripoli and western Libya criticise Haftar as a new dictator in the making, but he has become a political figurehead for many in the east who feel abandoned by the capital.

In seizing the ports, the LNA displaced units of Libya's Petrol Facilities Guard (PFG) led by Ibrahim Jathran, which struck a deal with the GNA in July to end its three-year blockade of the Ras Lanuf, Es Sider and Zueitina terminals.

The LNA took Ras Lanuf and Es Sider, Libya's biggest export terminals, in a dawn operation on Sunday it dubbed "Swift Lightning". Clashes broke out in Zueitina, but the LNA said overnight that it had secured that port as well as confirming its control of a fourth port, Brega.

Residents in Zueitina and Brega told Reuters that LNA forces were in control on Monday.

A commander allied to the LNA said an attempted counter-attack at Ras Lanuf by Jathran loyalists had been blocked on Monday. Jathran had lost much local support after switching allegiances to the GNA; there were few casualties during the port seizures as many of his men appeared to have responded to a call from eastern tribal leaders to hand over control peacefully.

Haftar's forces could face a renewed backlash from Islamist-leaning groups in the east as result of the raids, but they have suffered heavy losses in previous battles with the LNA.

His opponents in the western city of Misrata could prove the bigger threat.

Misratan forces are close to finishing a four-month campaign to oust Islamic State from its former North African stronghold of Sirte.

But the campaign has been costly, and Misrata also has to sustain a military presence in several other parts of the west, including Tripoli, where it has provided support for the GNA.

If the LNA retains military control over the terminals, eastern factions it is allied with could make a fresh attempt to export oil independently from the National Oil Company (NOC) in Tripoli.

But previous efforts to do this through the NOC office in Benghazi and funnel money to an eastern branch of Libya's central bank have been blocked by international opposition.

Claudia Gazzini, a Libya expert at International Crisis Group, said it was in Haftar's interests to have a working relationship with the NOC.

"I think this is what he's aiming for - to be the one who reopens the terminals," Gazzini said. "The unexpected outcome is that the terminals could open earlier than expected if there's no military counter attack."

Still, a deal between the LNA and the state oil body could face stiff political opposition from Haftar's opponents in the GNA's leadership, or Presidential Council, which late on Sunday called the attacks an "unjustified escalation" that would prolong conflict in Libya.

The Council consists of nine members who were selected on the basis of Libya's political and geographical divisions and are often divided among themselves.

The return to the Council of Ali Gatrani, a member representing the east who had suspended his membership for months, opens a potential channel to Haftar and his allies in the east as the government seeks to win their backing.

In the past, however, eastern factions have said they will not join the GNA without greater representation, guarantees over the leadership of the military, and the relocation of the NOC to Benghazi - demands they are likely to press with more confidence now.

"The view of the LNA is that, now they are taking control and making advances, they will want to see an improvement in their funding, they will want to see this reflected economically and politically in their benefit," said Mohamed Eljarh, an analyst with the Atlantic Council.

In such a scenario, he said, Misrata leaders could refuse to deal with Haftar, adding: "There we could really see the faultlines for the division of the country." (Additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar in London; Editing by Pravin Char)</s>Libya's two key oil export terminals are Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra, 650 kilometres (400 miles) east of the capital, which are together capable of handling 700,000 bpd. By Leon Neal (AFP/File)

Tripoli (AFP) - A spokesman for the forces led by a controversial Libyan general said on Sunday that they had seized key oil export terminals in the country's east.

General Khalifa Haftar's forces took control of the Al-Sidra and Ras Lanuf ports, the LANA news agency loyal to the internationally recognised parliament reported Colonel Ahmad Mesmari as saying.

Haftar, one of the most powerful military figures in Libya, has refused to endorse a national unity government and remains loyal to the rival administration based in the east of the country.</s>A spokesman for forces led by a controversial Libyan general on Sunday that they had seized two key oil export terminals in the country's east.

General Khalifa Haftar's forces took control of the Al-Sidra and Ras Lanuf ports, the LANA news agency loyal to Libya's internationally recognised parliament reported Colonel Ahmad Mesmari as saying.

Haftar, one of the most powerful military figures in Libya, has refused to endorse a UN-backed national unity government and remains loyal to the rival administration based in the east of the country.

Haftar's forces took the Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra terminals, together capable of handling 700,000 barrels of oil per day, from installation guards loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNA).

"Clashes are now ongoing near the Zuwaytina port" further east, Mesmari said.

The oil-rich area around Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra is seen as a vital source of income for the GNA and key to the economy of the North African country.

In late July, the oil installation guards announced the reopening of Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra ports after an agreement with the GNA to resume oil exports.

The ports had been closed for months following attacks by the jihadist Islamic State group in January.

IS has taken advantage of the turmoil in Libya since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival authorities and militias vying for control of the country.

A UN-brokered deal in December led to the GNA starting to work in Tripoli, but it has since struggled to assert its authority over the country.
Forces loyal to Libyan general and former US citizen Khalifa Haftar, commander of the elected Council of Deputies military, seize control of the ports of Sidra, Ra's Lanuf, Brega and Zuwetina.