Almost 5,000 SAM-7 missiles missing in Libya

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Almost 5,000 SAM-7 missiles missing in Libya

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In charge of armaments at Libya defence ministry said 5,000 SAM-7 missiles have gone missing.

02 October,2011 03:20 am

Almost 7,000 SAM-7 anti-aircraft missiles from ousted Libyan strongman Moammar Gaddafis arsenal have gone missing, a military official of the countrys new leadership said on Saturday.Gaddafis Libya bought about 20,000 SAM-7 missiles, Soviet- or Bulgarian-manufactured, General Mohammed Adia, in charge of armaments at the defence ministry, said at a symbolic ceremony to disable some of the stockpile.More than 14,000 of these missiles were used, destroyed or are now out of commission. Most of them were stockpiled in Zintan, southwest Libya, he said.About 5,000 of the SAM-7s are still missing ... Unfortunately, some of these missiles could have fallen into the wrong hands ... abroad, the general told reporters at a former arms depot of Gaddafis forces in Benghazi.He said Libyas National Transitional Council had found around 500 of the portable missiles.The guidance and firing systems of 10 of the SAM-7s were neutralised with the use of hammers in front of journalists, raising to 170 the number of missiles destroyed to date, said Adia.The United States has said it is working closely with Libyas new interim leaders to secure all arms stockpiles, amid concerns over weapons proliferation.The proliferation of arms raided from Gaddafis vast stores has been raising fears for Libyas future stability and that they could fall into the hands of radical groups like Al-Qaeda.