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Libya's two biggest oil ports were not damaged during clashes: workers

Libyan Army Forces belonging to Libya's rival government, that are part of the Alshorooq (Libya Dawn) operation to free oil ports, fire a vehicle-mounted weapon on the outskirts of Al Sidra oil port December 14 2014. REUTERS/Stringer

ES SIDER, Libya (Reuters) - Libya's two biggest oil export ports, Ras Lanuf and Es Sider, have not been damaged during recent clashes between forces allied to the country's competing governments, port engineers said on Friday. A force allied to a rival government in Tripoli launched an offensive last Saturday to seize both eastern ports held by army forces loyal to the recognized government also based in the east. The state oil firm has shut down both terminals. "The port facilities were not damaged," port engineers told a Reuters reporter visiting both terminals. Commanders of a force loyal to the recognized government said both terminals were under their control. (Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Greg Mahlich)