Gunmen attack Libya's largest oil field

Gunmen attacked Libya's largest oil field Sharara on Monday for unknown reasons, said a government official.

"Gunmen attacked the station 186 of Sharara oil field and attacked also the staff in the field. Some of them were beaten and robbed. The reason of the attack is unknown," Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.

"The forces responsible for securing the field told us that the gunmen took advantage of the weak security and the forces' lack of resources."

The oil field is still operating despite the attack, the official confirmed.

Sharara is the largest oil field in Libya, producing about 270,000 barrels of crude oil per day, more than a quarter of Libya's crude production, which reached one million barrels per day in August.

--IANS

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