Javelin Missiles Captured In Libya Were First Sold To France: Officially

France has admitted that four advanced FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) captured by forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) recently belonged to its armed forces.

In an official statement released on July 10, France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces said that the four missiles were used by French troops during military operations in Libya, denying that they were supplied to any forces there.

“These weapons were for the protection of forces undertaking intelligence and counter-terror missions,” the ministry’s statement reads, according to the BBC.

The ministry added that the four missiles were “damaged and unusable” and that they were “being temporarily stocked at a depot ahead of their destruction” when they were captured.

GNA forces captured the Javelin ATGMs in the town of Garyan, south of the Libyan capital, Tripoli. The missiles, as well as other other weapons captured from the Libyan National Army (LNA), were showcased on June 27.

Pro-GNA sources and even a part of the mainstream media had claimed that the missiles were supplied to the LNA by the UAE, a known operator of the FGM-148 Javelin. However, it is now confirmed that these claims were false.