CAIRO / ABUJA — A suspected drone strike targeted a U.S.-owned floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility at Egypt’s northern Mediterranean Port of Damietta on Wednesday, igniting fires across multiple vessels and forcing an emergency evacuation of maritime crews.

The incident, confirmed by maritime security risk firm Ambrey and security sources cited by Reuters, marks a significant escalation in regional maritime security threats along the North African coast.

Key Details of the Attack

• Target Vessel: The strike directly hit the U.S.-owned floating storage tanker Energos Winter while moored at the Damietta terminal.
• Fire Spreads to Neighboring Ships: The explosion from the initial drone impact triggered a blaze that quickly spread to an adjacent gas tanker, the Gaslog Salem. Port service firm Inchcape reported that up to two to three regasification and loading vessels were affected by the fire.
• Evacuation & Casualties: Emergency protocols were immediately activated, and crew members aboard the affected vessels were safely evacuated. Ambrey confirmed there were no immediate reports of human casualties or structural destruction to the main onshore port infrastructure.
• Fire Contained: Emergency response teams brought the blazes under control, and the affected storage vessels were subsequently moved outside the immediate port channel to secure the terminal.

Operational & Regional Profile

  LOCATION:            Damietta Port, Mediterranean Coast, Egypt
  TARGET:              Energos Winter (US-owned floating LNG storage tanker)
  AFFECTED VESSEL:     Gaslog Salem
  SECURITY SOURCE:     Ambrey Maritime Security / Reuters Reports
  STATUS:              Fires extinguished, crews evacuated, investigation ongoing

Investigation and Regional Tension

Egyptian authorities have launched an investigation into the explosion, with a specialized committee from the Ministry of Petroleum dispatched to assess operational damage and security breaches at the strategic energy hub.

While no militant group or foreign actor has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, the strike comes amid heightened geopolitical instability across Middle Eastern maritime trade corridors. Security agencies are probing the trajectory and origin of the drone to establish who launched the projectile.