A Lebanese man detained by Cyprus police is a Hezbollah operative, who was planning attacks against Israeli tourists and airlines flying to the island.
Hezbollah intended to carry out a bomb attack against an Israeli airline or a bus of Israeli tourists, Cyprus media reported, citing security sources from the country.
According to press reports from the newspapers Sigma - Live and Phillt'arros, following information from a foreign intelligence agency, security forces in Cyprus arrested a Lebanese citizen on the island, who is also the holder of a Swedish passport. The man was in possesion of photographs of Israeli targets, and information on Israeli airlines flying back and forth from Cyprus.
The suspect came to Cyprus as a tourist on Thursday, July 5. Immediately after that, an urgent message was transferred to Cyprus from a foreign intelligence service, saying that the man intended to carry out attacks. Last Saturday, July 7, after a day of tracking the suspect, Cypriot security forces raided the hotel that the Lebanese citizen was staying in in the southern city Limasul, and arrested him in his room.
On Friday, the Cyprus police spokesman, Andreas Angelides, that police have an "an individual in custody on possible charges pertaining to terrorism laws."
Angelides declined to identify the suspect, the level of his involvement in the plot and what the intended target would have been, saying disclosure of any details about the case could compromise an ongoing investigation.
State radio CyBC quoted an unidentified senior police official as saying that "Israeli interests" in the southern coastal town of Limassol were to be targeted. CyBC said the suspect was arrested a week ago.
An official at the Israeli Embassy in Nicosia refused to comment on the matter.