Libya's National Oil Corp Calls on Haftar Forces to Free Oil Union Head - Report

Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) has called on forces loyal to Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar to release the head of the oil workers' labour union, Saad Dinar, who was abducted by an armed group near the eastern city of Benghazi last month., Reuters reported Thursday.

"NOC rejects all forms of violence, abduction and arbitrary arrest, and calls on the General Command to immediately implement its pledge to free Mr Dinar and return him to his family and friends", it said in a statement, cited by Reuters.

In April, NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Libya, stressing that they may result in a reduction in oil production and fuel shortages in the country.

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The political and security situation in Libya has been unstable since the 2011 revolution, with the country still divided between two authorities,  parliament, backed by the Libyan National Army and controlling over eastern Libya, and the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) which controls the rest of the country.

The confrontation between the two authorities dangerously escalated in early April, when the army's forces announced an unexpected offensive on Tripoli, forcing the GNA to start a counteroffensive operation. Around 510 people have been killed in the violence as of 19 May, and over 2,400 others sustained injuries, according to the World Health Organization.

READ MORE: Libya 'On Verge of Descending' Into Civil War — UN Support Mission Chief