Switzerland, UAE Agree Probe into Swiss Grenades in Syria

Switzerland on Friday lifted an arms embargo against the United Arab Emirates after the two sides agreed to investigate how Swiss hand grenades sold to the UAE wound up in Syria, the government said.

The temporary embargo was imposed on July 4 after Swiss media published photographs of hand grenades manufactured by the Swiss group Ruag found at an unspecified location in Syria.

The probe, which began Tuesday, will seek to determine whether hand grenades delivered to the UAE were re-exported to Syria.

The UAE army imported some 225,000 hand grenades in 2003 having pledged not to re-export any.

Switzerland has not exported any weapons to Syria since 1998, the statement said.