The Associated Press Tuesday, December 10, 2002; 5:46 PM

WASHINGTON –– A ship carrying a dozen Scud-type missiles from North Korea was intercepted in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, U.S. officials said. They said the missiles were believed to be headed for Yemen.

The ship was stopped and boarded about 600 miles east of the Horn of Africa, the officials said.

U.S. intelligence had been tracking the vessel closely, said U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The ship contained about a dozen short- to medium-range missiles, similar to the Scud missiles used by Iraq in the Persian Gulf War, the officials said. It also contained missile parts.

The ship was stopped and boarded by a patrol boat in the region.

The patrol boat was not a U.S. ship, but that of another nation, a U.S. official said. However, a U.S. team rushed to the scene to participate in the search, the official said.

The ship "had another flag, but it was a North Korea ship," the official said.

The ship was held in the area while the search continued.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2002