Israel Says 40 160-Km-Range Rockets aboard 'Iran Arms Ship'

The Israeli military said on Sunday it had found 40 rockets with a range of 160 kilometers (100 miles) aboard a ship allegedly transporting arms from Iran to the Gaza Strip.

The army said it seized the Panamanian-flagged Klos-C on Wednesday and escorted it to the Red Sea port of Eilat where it was inspected on Sunday and unloaded in an operation dubbed "Full Disclosure."

A statement said security forces searching the Klos-C had found "40 rockets (type M-302), up to the range of 160 kilometers, 181 122mm mortar shells, approximately 400,000 7.62-caliber rounds."

It said the unloading and inspection of containers was carried out by a combined task-force from various units including the Israeli Navy, the Combat Engineering Corp and the Ordnance Corps.

"Each one of these rockets poses a threat to the safety of the citizens of Israel -- each bullet and each rocket that was discovered had an Israeli address," army chief Lieutenant General Benny Gantz told sailors who took part in the operation.

The Klos-C was escorted into Eilat by two Israeli warships late on Saturday after Wednesday's interception in the Red Sea between Eritrea and Sudan.

Iran has flatly denied any involvement with the shipment, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday accused the Islamic republic of "brazenly lying."