Fight for oil crescent region breaks out between GNA and Haftar forces

Clashes between Government of National Accord’s Defence Ministry forces and Khalifa Haftar’s Operation Dignity forces have broken out in the districts of Ben Jawad and Noufiliya in the oil crescent region.

Sources told the Libyan News that the forces led by the Defence Minister of the GNA, Mahdi Al-Barghathi, have gained control of the two districts in the oil crescent region after pushing Haftar’s forces out.

Ben Jawad district is located within the suburbs of Sirte and lies halfway between Benghazi and Misrata, while Noufiliya lies 127 km to the east of Sirte.

On September 11, Khalifa Haftar’s Dignity Operation forces attacked the oil crescent region and announced, through the spokesman Ahmed Al-Mismari, that they had taken control of Ras Lanuf, Essidra, Brega, and Al-Zueitina oil terminals from the grip of the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) forces led by Ibrahim Jodran, who had been shutting the oil production and exportation since 2013.