Libya's internationally recognized government says it seized four pricey U.S.-made weapons from troops loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar.

The Javelin antitank missiles cost more than $170,000 each. Markings indicate they were sold by the U.S. to the United Arab Emirates in 2008, the New York Times reports.

If the Emirati government voluntarily transferred the missiles, the Times reports that may have violated the sales agreement.

Haftar, who has controlled most of eastern Libya since 2014, seeks to end a long-running civil war by conquering the national capital Tripoli. The cache of American-made missiles and Chinese-made weapons were discovered by Tripoli's forces in Gharyan, which is south of Tripoli and was used by forces loyal to Haftar as a base, following a surprise attack.

Critics see Haftar — a former member of Muammar Gaddafi's government, an ex-CIA asset, and a naturalized U.S. citizen — as a would-be dictator. But supporters see him as a crucial bulwark against Islamism in the region.

Haftar has been supported by Egypt, France, and the UAE. His original rivals were Islamists who refused to accept defeat in a parliamentary election. That side was backed by Qatar and Turkey.

In a statement, the State Department said, “We are aware of these reports and are seeking additional information. We expect all recipients of U.S. origin defense equipment to abide by their end-use obligations."

Although the U.S. and the United Nations recognize the Tripoli government, President Trump and Haftar spoke on the phone in April, with Trump praising the general's work "fighting terrorism and securing Libya’s oil resources," according to the White House.

Last month, the Trump administration declared a national emergency citing tensions with Iran to bypass congressional review of more than $8 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE.