Merada is located around 350 kilometres (220 miles) from the coastal city of Sirte.

Four Libyan oilfields have closed and employees in a fifth are striking over fears of attacks from ISIS, a military source and media said Monday.

“Four oilfields were evacuated in the oil basin in Merada”, 800 kilometres (500 miles) southeast of the capital Tripoli, the military source said.

The Bayda, Tibisti, Samah and Waha oilfields were evacuated on Saturday, according to the LANA news agency close to the internationally recognised parliament in the country’s east.

The evacuation came after “the collapse of security and low daily production rate due to difficult security conditions”, said the source, who is part of a brigade protecting the oilfields that is loyal to the recognised parliament.

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