Although Libya's oil ports of Sidra and Ras Lanuf -- which have come under attack from IS militants over the past two days -- are not operating, the growing presence of the IS group in Libya means the country is "unlikely to regain pre-crisis production any time soon," Reuters reports.
IS in Libya has released photos of its January 4 raid on the Sidra oil port, the Long War Journal reports.
Some of the photos show militants inside an oil installation.
Libya's Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) said that they repelled the January 4 attack but IS has attacked Sidra again today.
There are ongoing clashes between IS militants and Libya's Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) southwest of Sidra in Wadi Kahila, a PFG spokesman has said.
A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against IS has denied claims by IS that its militants overran Barwana and Sakran, two towns near Haditha in Anbar province.
U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren said that IS had launched offensives near Haditha and that coalition air strikes helped Iraqi forces push back an initial offensive by IS against Haditha by around 200 militants.
Warren said more than 100 IS militants were killed.
Two more members of Libya's Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) were killed today as clashes continued for a second day with IS militants near the oil port of Sidra, Ali Hassi, a spokesman for the PFG, told Reuters.
Hassi said that IS militants attacked checkpoints 30-40 km from Sidra.
A second oil storage tank was set on fire by a long range rocket fired by IS.
At least 14 people have been killed -- including nine members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) since yesterday in clashes with IS around Sidra in Libya's oil crescent.
Libya's Channel has noted that there has been speculation on social media that one of the IS militants who carried out car suicide bombings yesterday at Sidra could be a 16-year-old boy who recently disappeared from Tripoli.
IS released a photo of the suicide bomber, whom it named as Abu Abdallah al-Ansari and who was pictured with his face covered.
Abu Abdallah al-Ansari is pictured on right in the tweet below.
As IS militants continue to attack Libya's oil export terminal of Sidra for the second day in a row, Platts offers some context about the importance of Sidra and Ras Lanuf oil terminals.
Sidra is Libya's largest crude oil export terminal and can produce 340,000 barrels per day.
Ras Lanuf is a 220,000 barrels per day terminal.
Both terminals have been closed since June, however, when Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) declared force majeure. As a result, Libya has been left with just 195,000 barrels per day export capacity.
Here is the "cry for help" posted by Libya's National Oil Corporation on its website in the light of attacks yesterday and today by IS militants on Sidra and Ras Lanuf.
To the free Libyan people to the patriotic who are faithful to their country and the capability and savings of the Libyan people, which are being destroyed and burned down while all the world is watching without doing anything. We are helpless and not being able to do anything against this deliberate destruction to the oil installations in Es-sidra and Ras Lanuf… As the hero firefighters were about to get control of the fire of a tank in Ras Lanuf Terminal last night, despite all the circumstances, we witness targeting another tank this morning in Es-sidra Terminal which resulted in fire breaking out in it.
National Oil Corporation urges all faithful and honorable people of this homeland to hurry to rescue what is left from the capabilities before it is too late. Your country is calling for you before what is left from your future and your children’s future is destroyed.
People of the West, People of the East, People of the South… Today is the day of solidarity, unity and casting aside disagreement. To every jealous Libyan … To every free Libyan to everyone who sees the future of his life and the future of his children lives… hurry up to rescue your fortune and the future of your lives… history will record any failure of you.
There are also local media reports that IS has targeted Iraqi forces in central Ramadi with suicide car bombs.