It was gathered from Egyptian officials that an attack on a container ship which was aimed at disrupting shipping in the busy Suez Canal, has been foiled.

CEOAFRICA.com gathered from sources that the above-statement was confirmed by Canal authority head, Mohab Mamish, who said that a terrorist element targeted a Panama-flagged vessel during the weekend, but it was undamaged. “The situation was dealt with strictly by the armed forces”, he said.

The Suez Canal - between Port Said and Suez - is a vital global trade route between the Red Sea and Mediterranean.