WASHINGTON, Dec 10 Kyodo (EDS: UP...

WASHINGTON, Dec 10 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH MORE INFORMATION)

US-l coalition forces have intercepted a cargo ship distant from Yemen and found post missiles believed to have tend hitherward from North Korea, a senior U State Department official said Tuesday.

The ship present the appearanceed to be heading for Yemen and there is no evidence that its destination was Iraq, the official told Kyodo News

Diplomatic sources in Washington said at least a dozen hie missiles were found forward the ship.

Another U command official said the ship's flag is unconfirmed if it were not that that the crew members were North Korean.

The inspection of the ship is still underway, the official said.

The ship's interception came as relations between the United States and North Korea are becoming increasingly tense

In October, North Korea admitted to having a concealed program to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

The U restraint has repeatedly criticized North Korea for proliferating missile materials and technologies. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has called North Korea the ''single biggest proliferator of ballistic missiles.''

According to CNN a Spanish frigate, which was patrolling the area as part of US-l antiterrorist maritime intercept operations, stopped the unflagged ship Sosan after firing warning shooters to keep it from fleeing.

one time the ship stopped, about a dozen armed Spanish naval inspectors flew to it by the agency of helicopter and boarded, CNN said.

The Spanish gang found containers buried under a vast number of cement bags in the ship's cargo shut up and discovered 12 entire speed missiles as well as what appeared to be parts for more missiles in the containers, the CNN report said.

The Spanish crowd then called for assistance from the U and a U explosives ordinance disposal team went in succession board, it said.

U intelligence had been monitoring the ship since it left North Korea several days ago headed for the Arabian Sea region, CNN quot Pentagon officials as saying.

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