TRIPOLI, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified gunmen shut down a fuel pipeline in the western Libyan city of Zawiya that feeds the capital Tripoli, the national oil corporation said on Tuesday.
"An armed group entered the refinery in Zawiya and forced operators to cut fuel supplies to the capital," the corporation said in a statement.
The statement said the corporation took emergency measures by redirecting tank ships to upload fuel into Tripoli's fuel store.
"Those acts of vandalism that aim to create chaos and trouble will only increase the suffering of the people," the statement said.
The corporation confirmed that necessary legal actions will be taken in case the pipeline remains shut.
Zawiya oil refinery, which feeds western and southern Libya with fuel, has been attacked by armed men several times in the past few years.
Libya's oil sector, the country's main source of income, has been suffering due to clashes between rival militias in oilfields and ports.
