ADEN: French naval forces have seized a large weapons cache headed toward Somalia on March 20, a CNN report said on Wednesday.
It is the second large weapons seizure in the region this month, and both may have been headed to Yemen from Iran.
The arms recently seized originated in Iran, and their likely destination was Yemen, said Cmdr. Kevin Stephens, a spokesman for the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.
French authorities released the crew of 10 after questioning them, according to the French Defense Ministry.
Iran has been arming the Houthis who have destroyed much of the country in their civil war. Stephens would not specify whether or not the US believed the weapons shipment was headed to the Houthis.
Earlier this month, an Australian Naval ship discovered a similar arms cache off Oman. US authorities said those weapons were believed to be initially sent from Iran and were probably intended for Houthi rebels in Yemen by way of Somalia, according to Lt. Ian McConnaughey with the US Navy.
