Tel Aviv, 4 Nov. (AKI) - Special forces from the Israeli navy are reported to have captured an Iranian vessel allegedly bound for the Islamist militant group Hezbollah. The ship was seized on Wednesday 150 kilometres off the Israeli coast.

Israeli media said that the ship was carrying arms intended for the militant group and political organisation Hezbollah in either Syria or Lebanon.

According to Israeli media reports, the trade ship carried the flag of Antigua, and was believed to have set out from Iran and later docked in Yemen and Sudan before sailing through the Suez Canal.

In a statement Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak said the the capture of the ship had prevented the smuggling of weapons and ammunition to "the northern terror scene".

He also said that the seizure was "another success in the endless struggle against attempts to smuggle weapons and military equipment whose goal is to strengthen terrorist elements who threaten the security of Israel".

Israeli reports said the ship's final destination was either Syria or Lebanon.

A fleet of smaller ships approached the vessel early on Wednesday, and boarded it. Israeli media said the crew members showed no resistance.

After the seizure of the ship and its containers, it was transported to the Israeli port of Ashdod for further examination.

The cargo reportedly included rockets, grenades, mortar shells and missiles.

"This could be bigger than Karine-A," said a military source quoted by Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, referring to the Palestinian freighter ship seized by the Israeli Navy in 2002 with more than 50 tonnes of weapons.