CAIRO — The Egyptian government said Thursday that a fire the day before at the port of Damietta was caused by a drone attack, the first to target the country since the outbreak of the Middle East war.

 

Authorities had reported two gas ships were damaged by Wednesday's blaze, which maritime trade tracking firm Kpler said had disrupted operations at a key LNG import hub.

 

While energy facilities elsewhere in the region have been hit by drones and missiles over the course of the United States and Israel's war on Iran, Egypt had so far been spared.

 

The presidency of the country's council of ministers said that a preliminary investigation into the incident determined "it resulted from a drone", noting no one had claimed responsibility.

 

It added that the inquiry was ongoing "to determine the circumstances of the incident and to take the necessary measures to preserve Egypt's interests and national security".

 

The authority overseeing the Egyptian port of Damietta said Thursday that its operations were ongoing despite a fire breaking out there the day before that authorities blamed on a drone attack.

 

"The Damietta Port Authority confirms the continued full operational efficiency of the port, with all terminals and berths experiencing regular vessel arrivals and departures, along with ongoing loading, unloading, and cargo handling of all types," the Damietta Port Authority said in a statement.

 

Keplr identified the damaged ships as the Energos Winter storage and regasification vessel and the GasLog Salem tanker, saying they had been moved offshore after the incident.

 

A private security monitor, UK-based Ambrey, had previously reported that the Greek-owned and Bermuda-flagged tanker and the US-owned-and-operated floating storage vessel were hit by at least one unidentified drone.

 

The former head of the Damietta Port Authority, Major General Ayman Salah, told AFP on Wednesday that the regasification ship was moored next to the LNG tanker in the harbour.

 

"The regasification process takes place under very high pressure," he said, explaining that any leak could lead to a fire.

 

Wednesday's attack took place as the United States and Iran returned to hostilities following a brief lull in fighting aimed at reviving negotiations.