Italian customs and police said that they intercepted two Chinese military drones disguised as wind-turbine equipment and bound for Libya.

A joint statement stated that the drones had been disassembled and were hidden in six containers in the port of Gioia Tauro, in the southern region Calabria. They were concealed between replicas of blades for wind turbines.

It added that the material was impounded because of an international arms embargo on Libya, which is a civil war-torn country.

The report appeared to confirm an Italian newspaper's report from last month, which indicated that the intercept took place on June 18 in Gioia Tauro after receiving a tip off from U.S. Intelligence.

The daily reported that the material was taken from a container vessel coming from Yantian, a port in southern China, and heading to Benghazi, a port in eastern Libya controlled by Khalifah Haftar's military commander.

Libya is divided between two rival administrations, one in the west and the other in the east. It has been in chaos since the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi. (Reporting and editing by Mark Heinrich; Alvise Armellini)