Singapore says seized troop carriers arrive back home

Nine Singaporean armoured vehicles seized by Hong Kong in November as they were being shipped home from military exercises in Taiwan, arrived back in Singapore on Monday, Singapore said.

Hong Kong's seizure of the armoured vehicles led to tension between China and Singapore, which has deepened its security relationship with the United States over the past year and remains concerned over China's assertive territorial stance in the South China Sea.

After Hong Kong authorities seized the carriers, Beijing, which regained sovereignty over the former British colony on China's southeast coast in 1997, warned countries against maintaining military ties with Taiwan, which it views as a wayward province.

"The nine Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles (ICVs) and other equipment arrived in Singapore today," Singapore's ministry of defence said in a statement.

Hong Kong said last week it was releasing the vehicles and the Singapore government was not being investigated over shipping breaches.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)