Suez agent surprised by Cosco attack
The three persons who attacked the Cosco Asia in the Suez Canal on Sunday have now been arrested, but Leth Suez agent Jacob Guldager is surprised that they were even able to get within firing distance of the container ship.
"I have to say I'm surprised that they were able to break through the security perimeter and get within firing distance," says Jacob Guldager, branch manager at Leth Agencies.
"Security has been increased further, but from what we know, security was already high and the safety level at its highest. We are now left to conclude that there must have been a small breach in the security perimeter around the canal, but that should be closed by now," says Jacob Guldager.
Massacre in Egypt could limit Suez services
Three persons have been arrested for having fired weapons at Cosco Asia, and the authorities have done a lot to show that there are no dangers related to sailing through the Suez Canal, which is protected by guards on the water, on land, and in the air. On Sunday afternoon, the CEO of the Suez Canal joined a ship as it sailed through the canal in an effort to prove that there are zero dangers related to passing through Suez.
Shipowners asking about their ships
The attack on Cosco Asia has led to concern among shipowners, who have been contacting Leth Agencies with inquiries about their ships in the region.
"Yesterday and today (Monday) people have been asking a lot about what will happen with their ships. We tell them that nothing's going to happen that's not supposed to happen. The ships will go through the Suez Canal, and security is absolutely in place," says Jacob Guldager, who also points out that conditions in the region's ports remain unchanged, and that the current curfew has no impact on work in the terminals.
No reason to worry
According to the Suez agent, the events on Sunday are only a cause for concern to those who don't know the situation.
"We're talking about three people with handguns who opened fire on a ship 50-100 meters away, and nothing happened to the ship. There's still no way to get bombs or large arsenals into the area, and handguns only pose a danger to ships and traffic the moment they're brought on board a ship and can be used in a hostage situation. Logistically speaking, you can't do anything with a handgun from the side of a ship, you have to get on board the ship. So we're not particularly concerned about what happened," says Jacob Guldager reassuringly.
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