Weapons found in shipping containers

Nigeria (AP): Israeli officials said yesterday that the military-grade armaments seized at a shipping terminal in Nigeria came from Iran and were bound for the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

The military officials would not provide evidence to support their claims, citing "security concerns". However, the information initially appeared to conflict with claims by Nigerian customs officials that the weaponry, which included 107 mm artillery rockets, were to be brought into the oil-rich West African nation.

The Israeli officials spoke yesterday on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak with journalists.

Iran remains a bitter enemy of Israel and supports Islamic militant groups in Lebanon and Gaza that are in a state of war with the Jewish state. In the winter of 2008, Israel launched a military campaign against Iran-backed militants in Gaza in an attempt to stop years of almost daily rocket attacks on southern Israel.

Denied gaza link

Ismail Radwan, a Hamas leader in Gaza, denied the weapons were headed to Gaza.

Agents with Nigeria's secretive State Security Service discovered the weapons Tuesday hidden inside 13 shipping containers dropped off at Lagos' busy Apapa Port. Journalists allowed to see the weapons Wednesday saw 107mm rockets, rifle rounds and other items labeled in English. Authorities said the shipment also contained grenades, explosives and possibly rocket launchers, but journalists did not see them.