TRIPOLI, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A terrorist group on Saturday blew up a crude oil pipeline near the capital Tripoli, the Libyan petroleum installations guards said.

"An explosion and fire broke out as a result of terrorist act in one of the valves on the 24 inch crude oil pipeline northwest of the town of Mrada, some 500km east of Tripoli," the petroleum installations guards said in a statement.

The pipeline belongs to Waha oil Cooperation, connecting the company's fields in Mrada oil basin to Sidra oil port in the oil crescent region.

"The bombing targeted the same pipeline that was bombed last year, while some maintenance operations were being carried out by the company," adding the statement.

Libya's state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) has not comment yet on the material damage caused by the bombing.

In December 2017, a terrorist group bombed a crude oil pipeline of Waha company in a desert area through which it passes to Sidra oil port.

The repairs took more than a week, causing losses of more than 10 million U.S. dollars.