Lebanese army intercepted three containers of weapons and ammunitions on the way for Syria 2904122

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Defense News - Lebanon

 
 
Sunday, April 29, 2012, 12:13 AM
 
Lebanese army intercepted three containers of weapons and ammunitions on the way for Syria.

The Lebanese army has seized a large consignment of Libyan weapons from a ship intercepted in the Mediterranean. It didn’t say where the vessel was heading. But the ship’s owner says it was due to unload in the north Lebanese port city of Tripoli.

     
The Lebanese army has seized a large consignment of Libyan weapons from a ship intercepted in the Mediterranean. It didn’t say where the vessel was heading. But the ship’s owner says it was due to unload in the north Lebanese port city of Tripoli.
Lebanese flatbed army trucks carrying the containers where weapons were found hidden, leave the port of Selaata, north of Beirut, Lebanon, on Saturday April 28, 2012.
     

The vessel was forced to dock at the port of Selaata, south of Beirut. It was suspected of carrying weapons headed for Syria. After the inspection, members of the crew were placed under arrest.

The army said in a statement that the weapons were found in three containers on the Sierra Leone-flagged ship Letfallah II. It was impounded along with its 11-man crew.

Pictures released by the army showed dozens of crates inside the containers, some of them filled with belts of heavy ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades. Labelling on one box said it contained fragmentation explosives, and several identified as coming from Libya.

Ship owner Mohammad Khafaji said he was told the craft was carrying engine oil, and was unaware of any weapons.

Khafaji said a broker from Lebanon had made contact, asking originally for a shipment of 12 containers of "general cargo" to be shipped from Libya to Lebanon. In the end, he added after two days’ delay, the ship left with just the three containers.

Russia accused Libya in March of arming and training Syrian rebels. Libya’s Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib said he was unaware of training camps in his country. But he repeated Libya’s strong support for Syrians "who are raising their voice asking for freedom".

Syrian authorities have repeatedly said weapons are being smuggled from neighboring countries, including Lebanon, to arm rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad.

     

Crates of ammunition are seen inside one of the three freight containers that were found on the ship Letfallah II after it was intercepted off Lebanon's northern coast and diverted to Selaata port, north of Beirut, and later transferred to the naval base at the port of Beirut, in this handout picture released by the Lebanese Army website on April 28, 2012
Crates of ammunition are seen inside one of the three freight containers that were found on the ship Letfallah II after it was intercepted off Lebanon's northern coast and diverted to Selaata port, north of Beirut, and later transferred to the naval base at the port of Beirut, in this handout picture released by the Lebanese Army website on April 28, 2012