Lebanon: Hezbollah praises government for seizing arms ship; Free Syrian Army denies role
The vessel ‘Lutfallah II’ docks at the port of Selaata, north of Beirut, on April 27, 2012 after it was intercepted by the Lebanese navy for being suspected of carrying weapons destined for Syria’s rebel army, a security official said.
Hezbollah praised the Lebanese government Tuesday for detaining a ship suspected of carrying arms to Syria, according to the Daily Star.
The Letfallah II was detained last week as it steamed past Tripoli, Lebanon's second city, toward the Syrian coast.
Ammar Musawi, a Hezbollah official, "urged the authorities to prevent Lebanon from turning into a conduit of destruction toward its neighbor," wrote the paper.
More from GlobalPost: Ship with arms for Syria stopped in Lebanese waters
The Free Syrian Army denied the weapons were destined for them, according to the Irish Times. Lt Riad Ahmad, spokesman for the rebel Free Syrian Army, told the paper he was “unaware of the shipment”
"He admitted, however, his group had awaited supplies from Libya 'for over a year,' " wrote the paper.
The ship, originally identified as the Lutfallah II, was carrying three containers with light, medium, and heavy weaponry, including rocket-propelled grenades, according to Reuters.
Hezbollah, an ally and patron of Syria, has been reluctant to criticize the Syrian government for its crackdown on protesters and rebels.