Yemen seizes ‘arms from Turkey’

SANAA

A cargo truck of 7,000 guns from Turkey was seized by Yemeni authorities on Dec. 13 in the western Red Sea port of al-Hodayda, the Yemeni defense ministry said on its website.

The Turkish-made weapons were found concealed inside the truck’s frame and in boxes and plastic bags loaded among other goods on the truck, which was in a coastal area about 30 kilometer east of al-Hodayda, the ministry said, citing security officials.

Similarly, on Nov. 3, Yemeni authorities seized non-civilian cargo in the southern port city of Aden, which the Yemeni Defense Ministry said was also shipped from Turkey. The arms had been found in boxes used for biscuits, in a container dispatched from Turkey.

The truck driver and two other men on board – all of them Yemeni nationals – were arrested and an investigation has been opened into the case, the ministry said without providing further details, according to Xinhua news agency.

The impoverished Arab state, already awash with weapons, is undergoing a U.N.-backed political transition struggling to settle security challenges and reunite the divided army in order to pave the way to launch a national reconciliation dialogue, delayed until later this month.