Cyprus denies connection with arms ship seized by Israel

The Cyprus government said Thursday it had no connection with a cargo ship seized by the Israeli navy that was allegedly laden with rockets and other weaponry destined for Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

"The Republic of Cyprus is in no way connected with this ship, since it is not under the Cyprus flag," the government spokesman's office said in a statement after Israel announced it had seized the ship near Cyprus.

The ship had been traveling from the Egyptian port of Damietta to the Mediterranean port of Latakia in western Syria, north of Lebanon, when it was seized, according to Israel.

Francop, the Antigua-flagged 8,622 deadweight ton ship, was currently at the Israeli port of Ashdod, where at least 40 containers containing arms were unloaded, the Israeli government said.

Israeli authorities said the containers with arms were hidden behind others holding civilian goods and came from Iran.

The ship was not seized within Cyprus's territorial waters, the statement said, adding that "the ship did not either sail in or sail out from a Cyprus port."

A Cyprus-based shipping source said that a Cyprus-based company was in charge of loading and unloading the ship. However, documents submitted to Cyprus authorities made no mention of the prohibited cargo aboard the ship.

Source: Xinhua