Soldiers stand guard in the city of Zawiya, Libya, Jan. 5, 2025. The West Coast Military Zone of the Libyan Defense Ministry said Saturday it launched a large-scale anti-crime military operation in the area. The first phase of the operation will begin in the city of Zawiya, some 45 km west of the capital Tripoli, it said in a statement. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

TRIPOLI, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The West Coast Military Zone of the Libyan Defense Ministry said Saturday it launched a large-scale anti-crime military operation in the area.

The first phase of the operation will begin in the city of Zawiya, some 45 km west of the capital Tripoli, it said in a statement.

The statement denied any political objectives behind the operation, stressing it aims to maintain security and stability in the area.

The West Coast Military Zone, which has witnessed increasing fuel smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal migration, previously asked residents of Zawiya to stay away from suspicious locations and hideouts for their safety during military operations in the area.

Zawiya has witnessed violent armed clashes recently, the last of which was in mid-December 2024 when the Zawiya refinery, Libya's second-largest one built in 1974, was heavily damaged. ■

Soldiers stand guard in the city of Zawiya, Libya, Jan. 5, 2025. The West Coast Military Zone of the Libyan Defense Ministry said Saturday it launched a large-scale anti-crime military operation in the area.

The first phase of the operation will begin in the city of Zawiya, some 45 km west of the capital Tripoli, it said in a statement. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

Soldiers stand guard in the city of Zawiya, Libya, Jan. 5, 2025. The West Coast Military Zone of the Libyan Defense Ministry said Saturday it launched a large-scale anti-crime military operation in the area.

The first phase of the operation will begin in the city of Zawiya, some 45 km west of the capital Tripoli, it said in a statement. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

Soldiers stand guard in the city of Zawiya, Libya, Jan. 5, 2025. The West Coast Military Zone of the Libyan Defense Ministry said Saturday it launched a large-scale anti-crime military operation in the area.

The first phase of the operation will begin in the city of Zawiya, some 45 km west of the capital Tripoli, it said in a statement. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

Soldiers stand guard in the city of Zawiya, Libya, Jan. 5, 2025. The West Coast Military Zone of the Libyan Defense Ministry said Saturday it launched a large-scale anti-crime military operation in the area.

The first phase of the operation will begin in the city of Zawiya, some 45 km west of the capital Tripoli, it said in a statement. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)