A Cosco container ship was victim to an alleged terrorist attack while passing through the Suez Canal this weekend. The Suez Canal, a key global trading route, is a waterway in Egypt connecting the Mediterranean and Red Sea. According to the head of the Suez Canal Authority, Mohab Memish said, “The attack was an attempt to disrupt the flow of ships through the waterway.” He went on to say, “The attempt failed completely and there was no damage to the ship or the containers it carried. The situation was dealt with strictly by the armed forces.”

There were reports of two explosions on the vessel and some reports of machine gun fire at the vessel. The cause or people responsible for the attack are unknown. The vessel, headed north after passing through the Suez Canal was stopped to extinguish fires on board.

The Suez Canal is in close proximity to heightening global tension, with the increased presence of American war ships due to the use of chemical weapons in Syria in recent weeks and Egyptian tensions with the overthrowing of its President.