Weapons (illustrative)
Weapons (illustrative)Israel news photo: Flash90

Syrian security forces are claiming to have captured an “armed gang” whose members possessed weapons manufactured in Israel and in the United States, local media reported on Wednesday.

According to the report on the government-run SANA news agency, the weapons, which were seized in a neighborhood in the city of Homs, were described as “high-quality weapons." The weapons include sniper rifles, mortars, missiles and other explosives, the report claimed.

This is not the first time that Syrian authorities have claimed they seized Israeli ammunition in the country. In September Syria claimed it found a Peugeot 404 car loaded with Israeli weapons, explosive devices, ammunition and stolen military uniforms.

The Syrian government, which has been cracking down on anti-regime protesters, has often blamed foreign forces for inciting the protests. The authorities have more than once claimed that “armed terrorists” are the reason for the full mobilization of military forces in Syria.

Syria state television has even shown footage of “terrorists” confessing to building bombs in order to attack civilians and Syrian forces.

On Wednesday, the head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Navi Pillay, called on the international community to "take effective action" to stop the killing in Syria.

Pillay said there is no statute of limitations for serious international crimes. There is an "extreme urgency for the international community to cut through the politics and take effective action to protect the Syrian population," she added

Syrian troops stormed the central hotspot city of Homs this week, killing scoresof residents and rebels alike in the area of Bab Amr.