Updated

Moroccan authorities have closed the port where a Dutch ship promoting abortions was scheduled to land.

A government official at Smir said it was sealed for "military maneuvers," but did not elaborate. He refused to identify himself.

A naval vessel and an inflatable motor boat could be seen patrolling the harbor, which was filled with recreational yachts.

The "Women on Waves" boat was scheduled to arrive in Smir Thursday. It would be the boat's first landfall in a Muslim country.

The Dutch ship was invited to Morocco by a local women's rights organization seeking the legalization of abortion in this North African kingdom.

The Moroccan government says the boat did not have permission to come.