Libyan fighter jets bombed a Greek-owned tanker ship on Monday, killing two people and wounding two others.
Libyan officials apologized for the incident, which occurred at the port of Derna.
The Greek Foreign Ministry demanded that someone be punished for the attack and that the victim’s families be compensated. A military spokesperson for Libya said jets hit the Araevo tanker twice before they found out the ship had been commissioned by a power station.
“We had no information (about the tanker). We treated it as a dangerous and suspicious target that threatens national security,"
spokesperson Col. Ahmed al-Mesmari told The Associated Press. "We regret the loss of lives."
But National Oil Corp., which is state-run, said all parties were told the ship was contracted.
"This incident will negatively impact the arrival of oil tankers to Libyan ports in the future, which will consequently affect the ability to provide fuel to different regions," AP quoted a statement from the corporation.
"The Libyan government will address the issue with the Greek government," al-Mesmari told AP.
He
told the BBC that the tanker didn’t submit to an inspection when it entered the port, and that it took a different route from that which would have led to the power plant, entering a “military zone.”
“We asked the ship to stop, but instead it turned off all its lights and would not respond so we were obliged to strike it. We bombed it twice," al-Mesmari said.
The tanker is operated by Aegean Shipping Enterprises Co., BBC reported, and it was carrying 13,000 tonnes of heavy fuel. No oil leakage was found.
BBC reported that al-Mesmari told Reuters the tanker was bringing Islamist fighters to the port.
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