BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) - Libya's National Oil Company declared force majeure on Wednesday at 11 oil fields in the centre of the country after attacks by Islamists.

The measure is a legal status that protects a company from liability when it is unable to fulfil contracts for reasons beyond its control.

On Tuesday, Islamist militants seized Al-Bahi and Al-Mabrouk fields and were heading for a third one, at Al-Dahra, said a spokesman for the Libyan oil industry's security service.