Haftar, a former army general who has been a divisive figure in Libya since Gaddafi was killed, has resisted attempts to integrate him into unified armed forces and overcome divisions between the east and west regions.
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Haftar’s forces took the Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra terminals, together capable of handling 700,000 barrels of oil per day, from installation guards loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNA).
A spokesman for the Petroleum Facilities Guard militia, Ali Alhassi, told the BBC the attack had started at 07:30 (05:30 GMT) and fighting had also been reported at Zuitina.
A port engineer confirmed that Haftar’s forces had entered the oil ports of Ras Lanuf and Es Sider, Libya’s largest, and said one of the storage tanks at Es Sider had been set alight in the clashes.
Haftar and other power brokers in the east have opposed the UN-backed Tripoli-based government, preventing it from extending its authority to eastern Libya.
Hatem El-Ouraybi, a spokesman for the eastern authority, told AFP the attack was aimed at “regaining full control of the oil crescent”.
In late July, the oil installation guards announced the reopening of Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra ports after an agreement with the GNA to resume oil exports.
The terminals had been closed for months following attacks in January by the jihadist Islamic State group, who took advantage of turmoil after the 2011 uprising to gain a foothold in the country.
In recent weeks, pro-GNA forces backed by United States air strikes have been pressing a months-long campaign to expel the last IS jihadists from what was their North African stronghold.
Libya has been split between rival parliaments and governments, each backed by a loose array of militias and tribes.
Citing another army representative, Sputnik news later reported that the forces had also taken the port of Al-Brega, as well as 80 percent of the Zuwaytina oil site.
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In recent weeks, as the PFG struck its deal with the GNA to try to restart exports, the LNA mobilized in the area leading to fears of a struggle for control.
