Libya's oil war starts

The east's capture of four ports gives it a huge victory in the battle for the country. Oil exports may rise and the conflict could deepen

The opening round of Libya's long-anticipated oil war began this week with the seizure of four key oil ports by eastern general Khalifa Haftar. So comprehensive was the victory that it may also prove to be the closing round. In the aptly named Operation Surprise Lightning launched on the morning of 11 September, Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), loyal to the elected House of Representatives (HoR) parliament in Tobruk, struck at four terminals simultaneously. The move gives the east control of Libya's commanding heights and may be a decisive blow in the country's civil war. It certainly changes the balance of power. It may also herald a recovery in Libyan oil exports, though many obstacles