However, he said there was no indication that the rebels were armed with heavy weapons or surface-to-air missiles.

BBC: US says Iran training Syrian militia

Officers armed with machine-guns and wearing balaclavas broke down a heavy wooden front gate and abseiled from a helicopter to gain entry to the property, media reports say.

BBC: German police target Hells Angels in large-scale raids

There were just a handful of officers, armed only with machine guns, no sand-bagged positions, no heavy weapons, no armoured vehicles.

BBC: Pakistan's spreading Taleban war

Over the past four years the government has introduced a series of tough anti-poaching measures, sending soldiers armed with the latest high-tech equipment to back up rangers in game reserves and imposing heavy sentences on poachers when caught.

ECONOMIST: Rhinos at risk