Yemeni security seizes arms shipment in southeastern port

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, December 20, 2012
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Yemen's security authorities seized a large shipment of mortar shells in the port of Mukalla in southeastern province of Hadramout on Wednesday, a military official told Xinhua.

Around 180,000 mortar shells, several boxes of pistols and automatic rifles were discovered inside the container at the southeastern port of Mukalla in Hadramout province, the local military official said on condition of anonymity.

"Initial reports show that the shipment loaded with various kinds of weapons and mortar shells coming from Iran," the military source said, adding that "the security authorities and a team of the intelligence agency are now investigating the case."

Meanwhile, another official of Yemen's custom authority told Xinhua anonymously that "the shipment was sailing to another country and docked at the port just to refuel."

Similarly, on Nov. 3, Yemeni authorities seized non-civilian cargo in the southern port city of Aden, which the Yemeni Defense Ministry said was shipped from Turkey. The arms had been found in boxes used for biscuits in a container dispatched from Turkey.

The impoverished Arab state, already awash with weapons, is undergoing a UN-backed political transition struggling to settle security challenges and reunite the divided army in order to pave the way to launch a national reconciliation dialogue, delayed until later this month. Endi

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