BENGHAZI, Libya: Libya’s opposition forces have set up a force to protect oil fields that have come under their control during six months of fighting against the army of Muammar Qaddafi, opposition officials said on Monday.
OPEC member Libya holds Africa’s largest crude oil reserves and produced 1.6 million barrels of oil a day before an uprising against Qaddafi’s 41-year-rule erupted in February.
Since then international sanctions have stopped oil exports from Qaddafi-controlled areas, while shipments from the opposition-held east of the country ground to a halt after pro-Qaddafi forces attacked oil installations in the desert.
Opposition military officials said they were determined to prevent any more sabotage, possibly opening the way for the resumption of exports from terminals in the east.
“There are forces prepared just to protect the oil fields,” said Ahmed Bani, defence spokesman for the opposition’s Transitional National Council, which is recognized as Libya’s legitimate government by about 30 countries.
He said the force had been ordered to fight anyone trying to attack the oil fields and facilities. “We’ve supplied them with weapons, vehicles and night-vision equipment,” he said.
Bani declined to reveal how big the force was, saying only that it was: “Big enough to protect the whole oil fields under our control.”
Meanwhile, Libyan opposition fighters who captured the strategic town of Bir Al-Ghanam, about 80 km south of Tripoli, were basking in glory on Monday when one saw a few vehicles approaching from the corner of his eye.
“They are coming,” said the fighter as he and others ran to sand dunes and fired weapons at approaching Libyan Army vehicles, forcing them to turn away.
It was a reminder that the rebels could face tough resistance when they try to advance to their next objective Zawiyah, a town 50 km west Tripoli.
Zawiyah has been the scene of two uprisings which were smashed by Qaddafi’s security forces. A large contingent of the fighters who captured Bir Al-Ghanam are from Zawiyah, so it holds special meaning for them.
As the takeover of Bir Al-Ghanam suggests, getting there may not be possible without strong, sustained support from NATO, something opposition fighters say they often lack.
Opposition fighters said they opened fire with rockets from nearby ridges, then attacked government forces on foot and by pickup truck. Qaddafi’s men hit back with rockets, killing five fighters, including a Libyan-American father and son who died holding each other in the battle lasting several hours, fighters said.
NATO airstrikes which pounded the small desert settlement may have been the deciding factor. They burned three government tanks to a crisp, leaving a crater in the dirt beside the town’s main road. A nearby house and factory were also pulverized, with twisted metal sticking out of concrete.
