Egypt Heightens Security has been enhanced around Egypt’s ports following an attack on two gas ships in Damietta, increasing fears for the safety of the Red Sea and Suez Canal.
The latest attack is one more reason to be concerned about commercial ship sailing and energy routes amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region. Given the fact that Damietta is situated on the Egyptian coast of the Mediterranean and linked with the country’s energy and maritime infrastructure, the attack has brought even more worry to the authorities responsible for the safety of the Suez Canal.
What Happened in the Damietta Port?
The drone attack hit the floating LNG storage vessel of the American company Energos Winter.
The explosion caused fires at the vessels, but the emergency crews were able to control them. There were no fatalities or casualties, and the operations at the port continued during the same night.
As for who was responsible for the attacks, that is not known.
Nobody officially took responsibility for the attack, while the Egyptian authorities keep investigating the source of the drone and whether the vessels were attacked intentionally.
The fact that nobody claims any responsibility only adds to the uncertainty of the situation.
Why Egypt Increases Its Port Security
Egyptian ports play a critical role in Egypt’s energy and economic security. An attack on the vessels carrying or keeping LNG on board may have consequences outside of that particular area.
That is why security measures have increased around Egyptian strategic sea-based facilities.
This is especially important since Egypt lies close to the Suez Canal, which is one of the most important shipping routes in the world.
Although Damietta is not situated within the territory of the canal but on the Mediterranean Sea, the attacks on Egypt’s sea-based facilities may still affect the risk perception in all other parts of Egyptian maritime space.
Drone Attacks Becoming More Common
The Damietta attack is another indication of increasing drone activities in the Middle East region.
Unmanned systems, which do not cost much, can be used to target shipping, port facilities, energy infrastructure, and other critical installations without the use of military force.
In the case of Egypt, the problem becomes very complicated due to the fact that the country has maritime interests in both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
It thus needs to track various threats while simultaneously securing some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Attacks Highlight Energy Security Issues
The ships that came under the attack are reportedly linked to liquefied natural gas, thus raising security issues for the Egyptian energy industry.
Special security measures are needed to secure LNG-related infrastructure due to the fact that an incident of fire or explosion on gas carriers can be considered an industrial emergency.
The fact that there were no casualties in the attack prevented it from turning into a major disaster. But this shows how energy installations can become vulnerable with drones being more frequently used in regional conflicts.
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De-escalation Called For in the Region by Egypt
The officials in Egypt have maintained their efforts at regional de-escalation as they evaluate the security effects of the attack.
The main concern for Egypt is to ensure that there are no individual security incidents that result in threats to the maritime trade.
Whether Egypt can be confident about its ports and the shipping channels nearby is going to be a matter of great interest for the energy companies, shipping firms, and the international governments.
Hence, the Damietta attack is no longer an isolated security problem. Rather, it is yet another example of how the increasingly popular use of drones is creating risks for commercial shipping, energy assets, and maritime routes.
With repeated attacks, Egypt would have to take steps to strengthen its air defense, port surveillance, and maritime security, along with the prevention of any wider conflict from engulfing its economic infrastructure.
