An investigation into an attack by a drone that led to a fire outbreak at Damietta Port drone attack in Egypt has commenced. While there were no reports of any casualties, the recent attack at one of the largest ports for LNG in Egypt has once again drawn attention to the issue of regional security and energy safety in the Middle East.
According to Egyptian officials, an attack carried out with the help of a drone led to the outbreak of fire in the port, which then affected two LNG ships. However, the fire was put out by the firefighters.
What happened in the Damietta Port drone attack?
The Egyptian authorities report that the drone targeted Energos Winter, which is the United States’ floating storage and regasification vessel located in the Damietta Port. As a consequence, fire broke out in the adjacent vessel, GasLog Salem, which belongs to Greece.
There are videos on social networks showing huge black smoke from the port as the tugboats tried to put the fire out. It was stated later that both fires have been controlled, and there were no casualties.
Afterwards, both vessels left the Damietta Port and sailed away, according to the ship-tracking data available to the public.
Who Is Responsible for This?
Nowadays, nobody has officially claimed this attack.
Egyptian authorities have not pointed out the suspects in the attack, claiming that their investigations continue. They noted that all necessary steps are taken in order to ensure national security and critical infrastructure in the country.
It should be mentioned that the attack occurred at a time of increased tension in the region. The attacks using drones by the Iranian-affiliated militias targeted energy facilities and commercial shipping in the Gulf and Red Sea in recent months.
Significance of the Damietta Port Attack
Damietta is an important terminal in Egypt that plays a vital role in the exportation of LNG to other parts of the world.
This is because it is strategically located by the Mediterranean Sea and is used to export LNG to various destinations, particularly in Europe. In any case of disturbances at the terminal, there is always an effect on shipping and trade.
Despite the fact that the operations have since returned to normalcy following the firefighting efforts, the attack has been seen by analysts as proof of the vulnerability of such facilities in times of political unrest.
Regional Tensions Escalating
The attack followed the joint US and Saudi Arabian airstrike against Iran-supported armed groups in Iraq. The United States explained that the move was taken as a consequence of drone attacks on its oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.
As if the situation is not enough, it has become increasingly difficult to predict retaliatory actions from other parties to the conflict in the region.
President of the United States, Donald Trump, was informed about the attack, and he believed that Iran or their supporters could be behind the attacks without offering proof.
On the other hand, Iran criticized the US-led attacks against Iraq, adding that further actions may pose “dangerous consequences” for stability in the region.
What the Investigation Could Reveal – Damietta Port drone attack
The investigation by Egypt will aim at revealing the origin of the drone attack and who carried out the attack, as well as whether there is a pattern of attacking the energy infrastructure in the region.
Security experts believe that the results of the investigation may affect future measures of protecting ships from drone and missile attacks on the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
For the time being, authorities in Egypt confirm that Damietta Port continues to operate normally. Nevertheless, the attack has once again demonstrated the vulnerability of the energy facilities in the region due to ongoing tensions.
Investigators will be looking into the origin of the attack, while both the governments and the shipping companies will keep an eye on the results of the investigation.
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