Libya strike on tanker draws Greek anger

Benghazi - Libya's internationally recognised
government said on Monday that its aircraft
bombed an oil tanker off the Islamist-held
port of Derna, killing two crewmen and
drawing condemnation from Greece.
A spokesperson for the Libyan government's
armed forces said the tanker was hit on
Sunday after it refused to stop for checks on
its cargo which had raised suspicions.
But the Greek government said the vessel was
plying a long standing route under contract to
the Libyan state oil company and demanded
prosecution of those responsible for the
deaths of the Greek and Romanian crewmen.
Greek coastguards said the Liberian-registered
Araevo vessel was at anchor two nautical miles
off Derna and laden with 1 600 tons of crude
oil when it was hit.
Libyan armed forces spokesperson Colonel
Ahmed Mesmari said the tanker had turned
off its lights "in preparation for entering the
port... and because of this it and its cargo
were considered suspicious".
But the Greek government condemned what it
called a "cowardly and unprovoked" attack on
a vessel plying a regular service between two
Libyan ports.
"According to the shipping firm, the vessel was
operating under contract to the Libyan
National Corporation and had been working
the Marsa al-Brega to Derna route for many
years without problem," a government
statement said.
"This criminal act has caused the deaths of two
crew members - one Greek and one Romanian
- and wounded two others," it said.
"The Greek government will take all necessary
steps with the Libyan authorities - in spite of
the unstable situation - to help investigate the
circumstances of this tragic event and identify
and punish the attack's perpetrators."
Two other members of the ship's crew of 26
were wounded in the air strike.
Talks delayed
Libya's internationally recognised government,
which has been based in the remote east
since Islamist-backed militia seized the capital
last year, has been determined to prevent any
oil exports without its authorisation.
The jihadist Islamic State (IS) group that has
seized chunks of Iraq and Syria is thought to
have gained a foothold in Derna amid the
chaos in Libya since the 2011 uprising that
ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi
More than three years after Gaddafi was
toppled and killed in a Nato-backed revolt, the
country remains awash with weapons and
powerful militias, and has rival governments
and parliaments.
In mid-December, Islamist militias in Derna
announced they had formed a new coalition,
ahead of an expected assault by forces of the
internationally recognised government.
Around the same time, the Islamist-backed
Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) militia alliance
launched an offensive to try to capture Libya's
main eastern oil terminals of Al-Sidra and Ras
Lanuf.
So far the offensive has been repelled by pro-
government forces, who have hit back against
Libya's third largest city Misrata, which is
controlled by Fajr Libya.
News of the air strike came as the United
Nations postponed peace talks it was hoping
to hold Monday between Libya's warring
factions.
The talks were originally slated for 9
December but have been repeatedly delayed.