Egypt confiscates explosives for rockets, ammunition smuggled from Libya

CAIRO – Egyptian security officials say authorities have confiscated trucks carrying explosive warheads and a variety of small-arms ammunition smuggled from Libya.

They say authorities seized the pick-up trucks, carrying some 108 warheads for Soviet-designed Grad rockets, near Marsa Matrouh, 430 kilometers (270 miles) northwest of Cairo on the Mediterranean coast. Suspected smugglers had fled the scene.

Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief reporters.

A flood of weapons from Libya has added to security concerns in Egypt, where police have yet to fully return to their duties since last year's uprising. Smuggled weapons often fall into the hands of Islamist militants in the Sinai Peninsula, or pass via underground tunnels to the Gaza Strip, where combat between Hamas militants and Israel is currently ongoing.