The Libyan National Army (LNA) has sent an Alkarama patrol vessel to the port of Ras Lanuf, part of the country's key Oil Crescent region and one of the world's crucial maritime oil export points, Press TV reported. According to LNA spokesman Ahmed Mismari, the warship was deployed as part of a "training mission" and to secure local oil facilities.
National Oil Corporation earlier issued a warning that a recent escalation in fighting between the groups in the country threatens oil production rates in the nation. The escalation was sparked by LNA General Khalifa Haftar's announcement of an attack on the Government of National Accord's capital Tripoli on 4 April 2019.
The oil trade in the country divided by the civil war is operated by the National Oil Corporation (NOC), which tries to position itself as a neutral side in a conflict between the LNA and the Government of National Accord (GNA), operating across the entire country, sending the profits to the Tripoli-based central bank, but also a portion to public servants in the LNA-controlled lands.
READ MORE: Key Libyan Oil Firm Warns of Possible Output Drop Amid Ongoing Fighting — Report
Ever since Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was murdered by militants supported by NATO forces in 2011, the country has been torn apart by fighting among various groups. The two most prominent of them are the LNA, led by general Haftar controlling Libya's east, and GNA, supported by the UN and seated in Tripoli — country's official capital.
