Sudan Foreign Minister inspects damage done through an Israeli airstrike on April 4, 2011 near Port Sudan. Israel has attacked the African state before the continent's largest, in 2009., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Israel intercepts Iranian ship carrying rockets for Gaza
English.news.cn
2014-03-06 01:56:32
• Israeli special forces intercepted an Iranian ship in the Red Sea that ferried missiles for militants in Gaza.
• Search on board the vessel yielded dozens of Syrian-made M-302 surface-to-surface rockets, military said.
• The military said the crew of the KLOS-C were most likely not aware of the cargo they were ferrying.
JERUSALEM, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli special forces on Wednesday intercepted an Iranian ship in the Red Sea that ferried missiles for militants in the Gaza Strip, capping an intelligence operation that lasted months.
Naval commandos raided the vessel on the maritime border between Sudan and Eritrea, approximately 1,500 km (930 miles) from the Israeli coast, while it was en route to Port Sudan, the military said.
A search on board the Panamanian-flagged vessel, named the KLOS- C, yielded dozens of Syrian-made M-302 surface-to-surface rockets that were concealed under cement bags, the military said. It noted that Hezbollah fired this type of rocket into northern Israel during the 33-day war in 2006.
Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an army spokesman, said the operation, codenamed "Full Disclosure," was launched several months ago when Israeli intelligence agencies identified that the rockets were flown from Damascus to Tehran, an unusual route that sought to throw Israeli intelligence off track.
Ten days ago, they were loaded onto the cargo ship at the Bandar Abbas Port in southern Iran, from where the vessel sailed to the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr, and continued its journey to Port Sudan, where it was scheduled to dock on Thursday.
Commandos who boarded the vessel did not encounter resistance from its 17 crew members, and it was being towed to the Navy's Red Sea port in Eilat, where it is scheduled to arrive in three days.
The military said the crew of the KLOS-C were most likely not aware of the cargo they were ferrying, and would be released shortly after being questioned by Israeli authorities.
Capture of arms ship bound for Gaza reveals Iran's "true face": Israeli PM
English.news.cn
2014-03-06 05:39:45
JERUSALEM, March 5 (Xinhua) -- While negotiating a deal with the world powers on its nuclear program, Iran is supplying militant groups with lethal weapons to harm innocent civilians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday after Israeli commandos intercepted an Iranian ship in the Red Sea that carried missiles bound for the Gaza strip.
Israeli naval commandos raided the vessel on the maritime border between Sudan and Eritrea, approximately 1,500 km (930 miles) from the Israeli coast, while it was en route to Port Sudan, the Israeli military said.
"At a time when Iran is talking with world powers, smiling and speaking pleasantries, it is sending deadly weapons to terrorist organizations via a network of secret operations around the world, " Netanyahu said in a recorded video message from California.
"This is the real Iran, and this country must not possess nuclear weapons. We will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect the citizens of Israel," he added.
Before giving the green light to raid the Panamanian-flagged " Klos-C" which was en route to Port Sudan, Netanyahu held consultations with Israel's top defense leadership, including Israeli Defense Forces Chief Benny Gantz, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and Mossad director Tamir Pardo, according to a statement released by Netanyahu's office.
A search team onboard the vessel uncovered dozens of Syrian- produced M302 missiles that the military alleged were bound for Gaza militants.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said it will lodge a complaint with the UN Security Council against Iran for attempting to smuggle missiles into Gaza.
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