A German report says Turkey has again intercepted an arms shipment from Iran that was destined for Syria.
The Munich-based Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper quotes diplomatic sources as saying Turkish forces stopped a convoy of trucks carrying weapons and ammunition in the south-central city of Kilis, near the border with Syria. The report quotes diplomatic sources as saying the arms were most likely intended for the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
Turkish authorities have not commented on the report, and there was no immediate response from Iran. It also is not clear when the arms were intercepted.
In March, Ankara informed the United Nations Security Council that it had found weapons and ammunition aboard an Iranian cargo plane bound for Syria. Turkish authorities ordered the plane to land in eastern Turkey on suspicion it was carrying weapons. The cargo included rocket launchers, mortars, rifles, explosive materials and ammunition.
The shipment was a breach of U.N. resolutions banning Iran from exporting arms.
That was the second stoppage that week. Turkey had forced an Iranian plane to land for inspection several days earlier, but found nothing suspicious.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
