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Navy: Over 1,000 Weapons From Iran Likely Bound for Yemen Seized

The U.S. Navy says it has seized a weapons shipment in the Arabian Sea from Iran likely heading to war-torn Yemen.
Image: A cache of weapons is assembled on the deck of the guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely
A cache of weapons is assembled on the deck of the guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107). The weapons were seized from a stateless dhow which was intercepted by the coastal patrol ship USS Sirocco (PC 6) on March 28, 2016.U.S. Navy
By The Associated Press

The U.S. Navy says it has seized a weapons shipment in the Arabian Sea from Iran likely heading to war-torn Yemen.

Image: A cache of weapons is assembled on the deck of the guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely
A cache of weapons is assembled on the deck of the guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107). The weapons were seized from a stateless dhow which was intercepted by the coastal patrol ship USS Sirocco (PC 6) on March 28, 2016.U.S. Navy

The Navy said in a statement Monday that the USS Sirocco on March 28 intercepted and seized the shipment of weapons hidden aboard a small dhow, a type of ship commonly used in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean.

Related: Australia Navy Finds 2,000 Weapons on Somalia-Bound Fishing Dhow

The Navy said the shipment included 1,500 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 200 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and 21 .50-caliber machine guns. It said those aboard the dhow were released after sailors confiscated the arms.

A Saudi-led, U.S.-backed coalition is fighting in Yemen against Shiite rebels and their allies there. Officials have linked similar weapons seizures to Iran and the Shiite rebels, though the rebels deny receiving support from the Islamic Republic.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press