Egypt Military Intercepts Shipment of 50 Surface-to-Air Missiles

Egyptian security forces intercepted 50 short-range surface-to-air missiles smuggled from Libya, the military said, in the latest such seizure of weapons originating from the North African nation.

A border patrol found the weapons when it stopped a sports- utility vehicle passing through a western military zone without license plates, the armed forces said today in a faxed statement. Also seized were 96,000 rounds of ammunition and an undisclosed amount of hashish, it said. Security forces said yesterday they intercepted a shipment of more than 190 rockets.

Libya’s interim leadership has been unable to restore order in the country since the uprising that led to the ouster and subsequent death of the nation’s leader, Muammar Qaddafi. Egyptian officials have voiced concern about the weapons being smuggled from the country, some of which have been destined for Sinai and onward to the Gaza Strip.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tarek El-Tablawy in Cairo at teltablawy@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net