Illegal arms from Turkey seized in Yemen's Red Sea port
A cargo truck of 7,000 guns from Turkey was seized by Yemeni authorities on Thursday in the western Red Sea port of al-Hodayda, the Yemeni defence ministry said on its website, Xinhua reports.
The Turkey-made weapons were found concealed inside the truck's frame and in boxes and plastic bags loaded among other goods at the truck, in a coastal area about 30 km east of the Red Sea port of al-Hodayda, the ministry said, citing security officials.
The truck driver and two other men on board, all of them Yemeni nationals, were arrested, as investigation has been opened into the case, the ministry said without providing further details.
The impoverished Arab state, already awash with weapons, is undergoing a UN-backed political transition that struggles to settle security challenges and reunite the divided army in order to pave the way for launching a national reconciliation dialogue, which has been delayed until later this month.
On Nov. 3, the Yemeni authorities seized a non-civilian cargo in the southern port city of Aden, which the Yemeni defence ministry said was also shipped from Turkey.