Azernews.Az

Akbar Novruz

Read more

A suspected drone strike hit a US-owned floating gas storage tanker at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta on Wednesday, triggering a fire that spread to a second vessel amid escalating tensions across the Middle East, AzerNEWS reports.

British maritime security firm Ambrey said its initial assessment indicated that a drone struck the Energos Winter, a floating storage tanker, raising concerns that regional hostilities are expanding into new areas.

Egypt's Petroleum Ministry confirmed that a fire had broken out at the Damietta port but did not specify the cause of the incident or mention a drone attack.

Meanwhile, port services provider Inchcape reported that two gas tankers caught fire at the facility.

According to three shipping sources familiar with the incident, the Energos Winter was struck before the fire spread to the nearby Gaslog Salem. Two security sources also said preliminary assessments pointed to a drone strike as the likely cause of the explosion.

British maritime risk management company Vanguard said the Energos Winter was hit by an unidentified projectile on its starboard side, igniting a fire that was later brought under control.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The incident occurred shortly after Iran launched missile strikes against US forces in Jordan and the United States and Saudi Arabia carried out attacks on Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, further fueling concerns over a widening regional conflict.