An Australian naval ship has seized a huge arms cache off the southern coast of Oman.
The Australian Navy said that one of its ships patrolling the region, the HMAS Darwin, had initially intercepted a small, stateless fishing vessel about 170nm off the southern coast of Oman for verification when it made the discovery.
Operating as part of a multinational naval partnership of the Combined Task Force 150 (CTF150), the HMAS Darwin uncovered and seized a large weapons cache including 1,989 AK-47 assault rifles, 100 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 49 PKM general purpose machine guns, 39 PKM spare barrels and twenty 60mm mortar tubes.
The CTF routinely conducts boardings to determine the origin of unmarked vessels (flag verification boardings), according to senior coalition officials who said that a similar number of weapons had been seized in September by coalition forces.
HMAS Darwin was on its first patrol in the region when it conducted this seizure, Vice Admiral David Johnston of the Australian Navy, said.
After assessing the vessel to be stateless, personnel from HMAS Darwin searched it and discovered weapons on-board the vessel that was suspected to be enroute to Somalia.
The weapons were seized under UN sanctions which authorise interdiction on the high seas of illicit weapons destined for Somalia.
Meanwhile, US military intelligence officials quoted by CNN have claimed that the weapons could have been meant for Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Vice Admiral Johnston said, “Australia worked as part of the multinational Combined Maritime Forces to discover and seize these illegal weapons.
“One of the key reasons HMAS Darwin is deployed to the region is to contribute to global security and counter international terrorism.
“HMAS Darwin’s successful boarding and subsequent seizure of the weapons concealed under fishing nets highlight the need to remain vigilant across the region.”
Commodore Jaimie Hatcher, AM, RAN, commander CTF150 said, “HMAS Darwin is to be congratulated on such a significant seizure.
“This operation demonstrates the ongoing commitment that CTF150 and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) have to ensure that those who seek to use the maritime domain to support terrorism are not successful.”
HMAS Darwin is deployed as part of CMF and is assigned to the Australian-led Combined Task Force 150.
CMF is a multinational effort to prevent terrorism, piracy and drug smuggling, encourage regional cooperation and promote a secure maritime environment in the Middle East and off the east coast of Africa.
Naval Intelligence officials added that investigations are currently on to determine the real point of origin and final destination of the weapons.
Source: MuscatDaily