Saudi ship facing arms protests leaves Spanish port

A Saudi cargo ship that Spanish arms control groups suspect is carrying weapons for possible use in Yemen left the port of Santander Monday and sailed for Genoa, Italy.

Alberto Estevez of the Control Arms Coalition of human rights and aid groups, which is trying to stop arms reaching conflict zones, told The Associated Press that the Bahri Yanbu left the northern Spanish port after loading two containers.

Spanish government officials had no immediate comment.

Countries are under pressure not to send arms to Saudi Arabia, amid concerns they are being used against civilians in Yemen where thousands have died since the conflict began in 2014.

In Yemen's civil war, the Iran-backed Houthis have been fighting a Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemeni President Abed Rabbou Mansour Hadi's forces. The fighting in the Arab world's poorest country has also left millions at risk from food and medical care shortages and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

The Bahri Yanbu, which has been making its way around European ports apparently to pick up weaponry, arrived in Santander from France on Friday.

French Defense Minister Florence Parly confirmed that the ship was meant to pick up French weapons in Le Havre as part of a contract signed with Saudi Arabia several years ago.

However, after French activists held a protest and sought emergency legal measures to try to stop the weapons supplies, the ship didn't pick up any arms in Le Havre after all, according to a French defense official. The official, who was not authorized to be publicly named, in accordance with French government policy, would not comment on why or give any further details.

Amnesty International suspects that, before sailing to France, the ship took on Belgian-made ammunition in Antwerp.