Drone strikes hit fuel storage tanks at Oman’s Port of Salalah on March 11, triggering fires and forcing a full suspension of container and general cargo terminal operations, at the time of going to press. APM Terminals, which operates the port’s container facilities, confirmed all operations were paused until further notice, with staff following evacuation protocols. The attack resulted in damage to several fuel tanks at the port, as per reports. Several drones were intercepted, but at least one breached defences and struck fuel tanks; three explosions were heard in the vicinity. No casualties were reported. The APM Terminals facility at Salalah is the regional hub for Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd under the Gemini Cooperation alliance, making the shutdown a significant blow to Asia-Europe box routing. Salalah handles over 5 million TEUs annually and is a critical transhipment node between Asia, the Gulf and Europe, according to a report.
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