SANAA - Yemen refused comment Wednesday after Scud missiles, believed to be from North Korea, were seized from a freighter intercepted in the Arabian Sea.
"No comment," the official government spokesman said.
However, sources close to the government said Yemen was trying to obtain parts for the army's Scud missiles.
US officials reported that American investigators were still inspecting the shipment stopped Monday by the Multinational Interception Force.
"During a search by a multinational team, Scuds were found, believed to be from North Korea," said Amy Black, a State Department spokeswoman.
"We are working with other governments on next steps. There is no final determination of the intended destination of the shipment."
A senior State Department official said on condition of anonymity that the destination of the shipment "may well have been Yemen" but there was no evidence to support speculation that the missiles were headed to Iraq.
Yemen has previously bought Scud missiles from North Korea, and Scuds were fired during the country's civil war in 1994.
President Ali Abdullah Saleh confirmed in August that Yemen possessed Scud missiles bought from North Korea.
"We have bought those missiles, and this is a legitimate right of Yemen," he said, adding that Washington had penalised North Korea.
However, no military ban had been imposed on Yemen as Sanaa was cooperating with Washington in the war against terrorism.
The New York Times had quoted US officials as saying the administration has imposed sanctions on North Korea after being sure that the latter sold components of Scud missiles to Yemen before President George W. Bush took office.
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