Colombo: Sri Lanka on December 18 confirmed that a mysterious ship, suspected to be carrying weapons, had been spotted on international waters last week, and said prompt action by its Navy prevented the off-loading of any shipment in its territorial waters.

"Sri Lanka Navy got information about a suspicious ship carrying warlike items into Sri Lanka," a Defence Ministry release said, without disclosing when and where the vessel was sighted.

It spoke of "prompt action" by the Navy, as a result of which "no warlike items were unloaded in Sri Lanka". The ship did not enter the nation's territorial waters, it added.

The release gave no other details.

The sighting of the ship has again raised concern in Sri Lanka as to whether Tamil rebels continue to bring in arms during the ongoing ceasefire.

Media reports said last week that the Indian Navy had located a vessel suspected to be carrying weapons and fuel for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) about 100 nautical miles off the North Eastern Mullaitivu coast. It was not intercepted as it was spotted on international waters.

The reports said India had alerted the Sri Lankan Navy, which sent out its own vessels to scour the sea, but the ship had apparently moved deeper into international waters after its crew suspected they were being watched.

PTI