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'New phase' in Swedes' sub hunt

STOCKHOLM - A six-day-long search for a suspected submarine in Swedish territorial waters near the capital of Stockholm entered a "new phase" Wednesday, the Swedish military said.

STOCKHOLM - A six-day-long search for a suspected submarine in Swedish territorial waters near the capital of Stockholm entered a "new phase" Wednesday, the Swedish military said.

"Ground forces and air force helicopters as well as some marine units will remain in the search area," said defense forces spokesman Erik Lagersten, adding that the tactical head of the operation had decided to redeploy some naval vessels.

The operation, involving navy vessels, aircraft, and army units, is the largest in years. It began Friday after the military said it received credible reports of what it labeled foreign underwater activity.

Lagersten denied that the operation was scaling down. "The intelligence operation aims at gathering information about what is going on underwater in the Stockholm archipelago," he said. No new sightings have been made since Monday.

During the Cold War, Soviet submarine sightings triggered similar large-scale operations.

Last month, Sweden protested over two Russian Su24 jets that flew into Swedish airspace. The planes left after a Swedish jet fighter was dispatched to the area.