One civilian died and up to four others wounded in two alleged LNA airstrikes on an oil tanker off the coast of Sirte, local media reported.

The casualties – all crew members, two of whom were hospitalised – reportedly occurred as the tanker was set on fire.
According to Japan Times, “The Anwaar Afriqya, a tanker carrying 30,000 metric tons of gas oil from Motor Oil Hellas’s refinery in Greece, was attacked while anchored off Sirte in central Libya, Rida Issa, the coast guard chief, said by phone. The airstrike caused a fire on the tanker that was later extinguished, the vessel’s second-in-command, Fakhri Mohammed, said.” The report went on to say that one person died and one was injured in the attack.

Almarsad, Alarabiya and Ajwa made no mention of a fatality but said that between 3-4 civilians were wounded in the fire.

According to a report by Akhbar Masr, “Libyan Air Force Chief of Staff Saqr al-Jaroushi said aircraft attacked the tanker Anwaar Afriqya registered in Libya, off Sirte port, on Sunday as it was unloading weapons.”

A report by Almarsad cited eye witness testimony, explaining that “a worker at the port said the tanker was attacked with a missile fired into the cockpit and crew rooms. ‘Then the aircraft attacked the ship with machine guns,’ he said, adding that there was a danger that the fuel would leak. ‘They attacked (the tanker) after we unloaded the first oil tank and we were preparing to unload the second,’ the worker said.”

The local time of the incident is unknown.

According to international and local sources, a Turkish ship was hit by both airstrikes and artillery shelling from the LNA. A deputy captain was reportedly killed in the attack, and another crew member injured.

The incident took place 16km off the coast from Tobruk on the way to Derna. Al Jazeera quoted the second captain of the tanker Zafar Kalayegy who opposed the government’s statement (see below) and said the ship “was attacked without any prior notice and any warning.”

According to Abwaba, “the Libyan army bombed a Turkish tanker off the coast of Tobruk on its way to the coast of Derna. The Libyan air force carried out a military operation targeting the elements of the Da’dash organisation, which controls Derna, in northeastern Libya, and continued until Monday morning, Libyan sources told Al-Bawaba News. The source added that Libyan naval forces warned the Turkish ship to sail in the direction of the coast of Derna but did not respond, as confirmed by the military spokesman of the Libyan army in a press statement this morning, where he said that the Turkish ship was bombed after warning not to approach Derna.”

Turkey described the attack as “despicable”, while a report by Azamil said that “the internationally-recognised Libyan government confirmed that it had bombed a Turkish ship off the Libyan coast after warning it was approaching and killing a crew member”.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) issued a statement condemning the attack.

The local time of the incident is unknown.