PARIS: The French military said on Wednesday several Javelin missiles found in a rebel base in Libya were purchased by the French government from the United States but were never intended for sale or transfer to any party to the Libya conflict.
In a statement sent to reporters, the Army Ministry said the missiles were intended for the “self-protection of a French military unit deployed to carry out counter-terrorism operations.”
“Damaged and unusable, the armaments were being temporarily stocked at a depot ahead of their destruction,” the ministry said.
The New York Times reported earlier that the cache of four Javelin anti-tank missiles were recovered last month by Libyan government forces during a raid on a rebel camp in the town of Gheryan, in the mountains south of Tripoli.
France says Javelin missiles found in Libya were unusable
France says Javelin missiles found in Libya were unusable
- French military says the Javelin missiles found in Libya were not intended for resale
- The purpose of the missiles was for a French operation
