Egypt destroys anti-tank missiles from North Korea

By Zeynep Tufekci

CAIRO

Egypt’s foreign ministry said Monday that authorities had destroyed a shipment of anti-tank missiles from North Korea.

In a statement, it said the shipment was not intended to be sent to Egypt, denying a report by U.S. newspaper the Washington Post which described “a mysterious vessel steaming toward the Suez Canal”.

“The UN Security Council praises Egypt's cooperation on the implementation of decisions on North Korea," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said.

Abu Zeid added that the report "is trying to create a false impression that Egypt is not committed to the implementation of Security Council resolutions regarding North Korea."

“The Egyptian authorities already confiscated and destroyed the shipment in the presence of a panel of experts from the 1718 Committee on North Korea's sanctions in the Security Council," he said.

In reply to the report’s claim that Egypt was the final destination of the shipment, Abu Zeid said the report of the sanctions committee did not mention “from near or far” that the shipment was on its way to Egypt.

North Korea is facing strong sanctions from the U.S. and firm condemnation from the international community in the wake of repeated missile launches and nuclear tests.

Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3 led to the adoption of the ninth UN Security Council resolution since 2006, which further tightened international sanctions on the country.