Lebanon halts ship carrying arms for Syria rebels

Moscow, April 29 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The Lebanese Navy has intercepted a Sierra Leone-registered ship carrying arms and ammunition reportedly destined for Syrian rebels, Al Jazeera reported.

The ship's crew were detained after three crates full of machine guns, artillery shells and rocket-propelled grenades were found on board the Luftfallah II earlier this week.

Lebanese military prosecutor Saqr Saqr said an investigation was underway.

A security official told Al Jazeera the arms were intended for members of the rebel Free Syrian Army, which wants to oust President Bashar al-Assad by force.

The ship was coming from Libya. Several of the arms were labelled as Libyan.

It is now being held at Selaata, a port 50 km north of Lebanon capital Beirut.

Syrian authorities have frequently complained that weapons are being smuggled from Lebanon into the country.

The UN says more than 9,000 people have been killed in clashes between the government and the opposition in Syria since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011.

The Syrian government insists it is combating "armed terrorist gangs" who are seeking to destabilize Syria.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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