Egypt has seized a ship carrying a significant amount of weapons which was en-route to the African country of Togo from Israel.

The vessel - which was intercepted after it strayed into Egyptian territorial waters - was carrying a crew of 14 and a cargo of 105 crates of unspecified weapons and ammunition.

An Egyptian military spokesman, Colonel Ahmed Mohamed Ali, said on his Facebook page that the ship belonged to a company that secures maritime routes in the Red Sea, a haven of Somalia-based pirates.

He said that the weapons and ammunition on board are related to its work and mission to keep commercial vessels safe.

But Israel's Channel 10 television contradicted the Egyptian military's version, reporting that the boat was carrying 40 tons of Iranian weapons destined for Syria or the Palestinian Gaza Strip.