11.08.2026 08:10
Libya has been shaken by successive developments ranging from security to energy and the economy. In Benghazi, Major General Fawzi al-Mansuri, Director of the Military Intelligence Department, was killed in a bomb assassination, while oil facilities in Zawiya were targeted by drone attacks. The unexpected resignation of the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Naji Issa, has added to the country's tensions.
Shocking developments in security, energy, and economy in Libya have once again pushed tensions in the country to a peak. The bloody assassination of a senior commander, drone attacks targeting critical oil facilities, and a shocking resignation decision at the Central Bank have raised concerns that a new era of chaos is opening in the country.
BOMB ASSASSINATION OF SENIOR COMMANDER IN BENGHAZI The first act of violence escalating tensions in the country occurred in Benghazi. Major General Fawzi al-Mansuri, Director of the Military Intelligence Department affiliated with the Libyan General Command, lost his life when an improvised explosive device planted in his vehicle detonated in front of his house in the al-Hawari district. While no organization has yet claimed responsibility for this dark attack, the General Command issued a condolence message, and the Moral Guidance Department described the incident as a "desperate attempt by terrorist elements."
OIL FACILITY IN ZAWIYA STRUCK BY DRONE Simultaneously with the assassination in Benghazi, the city of Zawiya in the west of the country also fell into a spiral of violence. Severe clashes broke out in the region between the Security Threats Response Unit and the 103rd Infantry Brigade, resulting in deaths and injuries, the closure of the coastal road, and even the escape of prisoners from a prison. Immediately following this chaos, critical oil and service facilities became the target of a series of drone attacks.
A fuel depot belonging to the Brega Petroleum Marketing Company, containing approximately 4.5 million liters of gasoline, was struck and collapsed, while a naphtha tank at the Zawiya Refinery suffered holes and a heavy leak. Following the attacks, which also damaged the region's water treatment plant, the Libyan National Oil Corporation declared a "state of highest emergency" in the area. In response to the developments, Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh convened an emergency summit with senior military and security officials, instructing them to increase readiness levels and respond decisively to the threats.
SHOCK RESIGNATION AT THE CENTRAL BANK A crisis erupting at the heart of the economy was added to these security failures taking place under the shadow of arms. The Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Naji Issa, submitted an unexpected resignation letter to the House of Representatives and the High Council of State. Issa stated he could not disclose the main reasons for his resignation due to the "sensitivity" of the matter, and his decision came at an extremely delicate time when the dollar exceeded 9 Libyan dinars on the black market and the cash shortage in the country was deepening. The Head of the High Council of State, Mohamed Takala, requested Issa to temporarily continue in his position to preserve financial and monetary stability.
Naji Issa's attitude, who was appointed in 2024 following a difficult reconciliation between the east and west of the country, strengthens the likelihood of a new chaos in Libya. While the crises that have previously arisen over the Central Bank administration, leading to the closure of oil fields and a slump in exports, remain fresh in memory, there is great concern that unless an agreement is reached on his staying in office or a new name, the fierce power struggle over the institution managing oil revenues could reignite.