Oil terminals shutting down in Eastern Libya

Eastern Libyan forces closed down major oil ports, a spokesman for an oil protection force allied to eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar said on Friday. The move is aimed at escalating tensions ahead of an international Libya summit to discuss the country's conflict.

Libya will lose at least 700,000 barrels of oil exports per day as a result of the closure, a source at state oil firm NOC said.

NOC had earlier warned against closing the terminals.

"The oil and gas sector is the lifeblood of the Libyan economy... they should not be used as a card for political bargaining," NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla said in a statement.