Libya’s state National Oil Corporation (NOC) confirmed that today there was an attempt by armed militias to storm its Tripoli headquarters.

The NOC confirmed media news that at noon today ‘‘some armed outlaw gangs attempted to forcefully enter the headquarters of the National Oil Corporation in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and the Petroleum Facilities Guard, charged with protecting the Corporation’s building, was surprised by the arrival of armed vehicles in the opposite direction to traffic, making some chaotic movements, withdrew weapons and tried to break into the outer fence to the institution building’’.

It explained that ‘‘immediately after the accident, additional reinforcements were called from the Petroleum Facilities Guard of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior’’, and that ‘‘these rogue and outlaw gangs were dealt with and were expelled without any human or material damage’’.

The NOC was not fully clear as to the cause of the attempted storming of its headquarters but noted that there were threats against a senior NOC official this morning that may be related to the incident. It revealed that a report has been referred to the Office of the Attorney General to investigate the circumstances of the failed attack and to investigate anyone who is directly or indirectly related to this ‘‘terrorist act to take all the necessary measures to protect the oil sector from these miserable attempts’’.

It thanked both the Petroleum Facilities Guard of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior for their professional and heroic work to protect the National Oil Corporation and its workers from this ‘‘criminal act, and we seek their hands in their relentless pursuit to establish a state of institutions and law sought by everyone and against ‘‘armed militias and gangs that seek to destabilize peace and community security in the capital, Tripoli’’.