Navy SEALs take control of rogue Libya oil tanker Morning Glory

The US Navy SEALs have taken control of Morning Glory tanker full of oil loaded from a rebel-held port in Libya, the Pentagon says.

The raid by Navy SEALs took place in international waters south of Cyprus, said Rear Admiral John Kirby.

The Morning Glory’s evasion of a naval blockade at the eastern port of Sidra prompted Libya’s parliament to sack PM Ali Zeidan last week.

The oil terminal has been under the control of militia wanting autonomy for eastern Libya since July 2013.

This was their first attempt to export oil from rebel-held areas. It is not clear where the tanker was headed.

Admiral John Kirby said the operation had been authorized by President Barack Obama and that no-one had been hurt.

“The Morning Glory is carrying a cargo of oil owned by the Libyan government National Oil Company. The ship and its cargo were illicitly obtained,” he said, adding that it would now be returned to a Libyan port.

Morning Glory was flagged in North Korea but officials in Pyongyang said it had been deregistered because of the incident.

The oil tanker was said to have been operated by an Egyptian company.