Military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Mesmari was cited by the Irish Examiner as saying the attack took place before the government learned the 26,000-dwt Araevo (built 1991) was delivering fuel to a power station in Derna for the country's National Oil Corporation (NOC).

"We had no information. We treated it as a dangerous and suspicious target that threatens national security. We regret the loss of lives."

And he told the BBC that the Aegean Oil tanker's movements at the port of Derna had aroused suspicion.

NOC rejected this, saying the ship was delivering fuel to industrial facilities there and the authorities had been kept informed.

Derna has been controlled by Islamist militants for the past two years.

NOC added the tanker had picked up 13,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil in Brega, a port south of Libya's second city, Benghazi, which it was due to deliver to a power plant and water purification facility in Derna.

It said the vessel was attacked on Sunday before it could enter the port to unload its cargo.

TradeWinds reported the vessel was bombed as it lay at anchor.

The Liberian-flagged Araevo had 26 crew on board, including 21 Filipinos, three Greeks and two Romanians. One of the crew who lost his life was Greek and the other Romanian.

Two more seafarers were injured in the incident.

Greece lodged a formal complaint with Libyan authorities, demanding that the perpetrators be found, punished and that compensation be paid to the victims’ families.

source.www.tradewindsnews.com