German Newspaper Says Navy Spy Ship is Assisting Syrian Rebels

German newspaper, Bild an Sonntag, reports that a German ship off Syria’s coast with spy equipment and German intelligence service on board is providing information to Syrian rebels.

Bild says the vessel, RHEINLAND PFLAZ  has the capability of monitoring the movements of President Bashar al-Assad’s troops up to 375 miles inland. They also say that the information collected is passed to British and U.S. secret service officials who pass it on to the Free Syrian Army.

The German Defence Ministry says the navy ship is equipped with telecommunications and reconnaissance technology and is currently in a harbor in Sardinia. They however, did not comment on any surveillance or intelligence operations. U.S. and British officials also denied comment on the German newspaper’s story, however a spokesperson for Britain’s Foreign Office said that Britain is providing non-lethal support to the opposition.

The civil war in Syria continues in its 17th month, taking the lives of thousands of Syrians. The United Nations says up to 30,000 people have been killed, half of which were civilians and some 1.5 million people have been displaced from the violence. Syrian rebels accuse al-Assad’s regime of human rights violations, including kidnappings, torture, detention and the execution of citizens. The UN has verified and documented many of these claims. Nations such as the U.S., Britain and Germany have stepped in condemning the use of violence against citizens and have committed to assisting the rebels. Canada has also stepped up, supplying doctors and nurses in the country with $2 million worth of medical supplies to treat Syrian civilians.

Lakhdar Brahimi, an Algerian UN veteran diplomat, agreed to take over as the new UN-Arab League envoy after Kofi Annan stepped down following his failed approach to reach a ceasefire in the region.