TRIPOLI, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Libya's state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Thursday expressed concerns over "an increased military presence" at an oil terminal in eastern Libya, saying such presence is "potentially making it a military objective."
"These actions could result in the withdrawal of NOC personnel from the port for their safety," the NOC said in a statement.
Dozens of military personnel entered the Ras Lanuf terminal earlier this month, took over a building and 31 dormitories of oil workers, and attempted to fuel a fighter jet, the statement said.
"The presence of forces inside the terminal represents an unacceptable risk to employees," said NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla. "This renders the terminal a potential military target, thereby risking the destruction of Libyan oil infrastructure and the consequential economic crisis."
The Ras Lanuf oil terminal is part of Libya's "oil crescent," a region that contains the country's largest oil ports and is controlled by the east-based army, led by General Khalifa Haftar.