Greek coast guard boards suspected ISIS arms ship near Crete

The coastguard told IBTimes UK more information about the operation will be released at a later stage.

Greek authorities have seized a foreign-flagged vessel and arrested all of its crew members after a raid revealed it was carrying a large cargo of weapons and explosives, it was reported on Tuesday. It wasn’t initially clear what kind of armaments the vessel had on board.

In recent months, Libya has become a magnet for radical jihadists as the north African country has slid into chaos in the aftermath of the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi. According to media in Athens, the arms ship came from Libya with arms consigned by and for the Islamic State.

The United Nations has imposed an embargo on weapons shipments to Libya.

The Coastguard has diverted the unnamed ship to Crete’s Heraklion Port, where it is expected to arrive early on Wednesday morning for further searches and investigation.

Al-Dairi stressed that Libya is not asking for global intervention, but said the worldwide community has a “legal and moral responsibility to lend urgent support” and that the region, including the Mediterranean, is in danger.