France says Javelin missiles found in Libya were "unusable" - army ministry

The French military said on Wednesday several Javelin missiles found in a rebel base in Libya were purchased by the French government from the United States but were never intended for sale or transfer to any party to the Libya conflict.

In a statement sent to reporters, the Army Ministry said the missiles were intended for the "self-protection of a French military unit deployed to carry out counter-terrorism operations".

"Damaged and unusable, the armaments were being temporarily stocked at a depot ahead of their destruction," the ministry said.

The New York Times reported earlier that the cache of four Javelin anti-tank missiles was recovered last month by Libyan government forces during a raid on a rebel camp in the town of Gheryan, in the mountains south of Tripoli.