Agence France-Presse,
BAGHDAD: The US military said its troops had found Chinese-made missiles which they believe were smuggled into Iraq by groups in Iran in order to arm groups fighting US-led forces.
'We have seen ordnance and weapons that come from other places, but we assess that they have come through Iran,' Agence France-Presse quoted US military spokesman Admiral Mark Fox as saying.
'There are missiles that are actually manufactured in China that we assess come through Iran as well.'
Fox also alleged Iranian agents continue to smuggle Iranian made armor piercing bombs — explosively-formed penetrators (EFPs) — to Iraqi extremist groups across the country's long border.
The US military has repeatedly accused Iranian linked groups of training Iraqi extremists in the use of EFPs.
Since May 2004, when the EFPs emerged on the Iraqi battlefield, more than 200 US soldiers have been killed by these bombs which fire a fist-sized chunk of molten metal that can cut through even a heavily armored vehicle.
Tehran denies being behind any weapons smuggling, but Fox insisted that weapons seized by Iraqi and US forces are clearly of Iranian manufacture.
