Terror attack against Israeli targets said thwarted in Cyprus
Cypriot newspaper reports security forces seized 100 grams of explosives in resort town
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Security forces in Cyprus thwarted a planned terror attack against Israeli targets in the island country, a Cypriot newspaper reported Thursday.
Security forces on the island seized 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of a powerful explosive in the port of Limassol, local paper Alithia reported. The amount of the explosive, described as pink and comprising small balls, was reportedly enough to cause massive damage.
The perpetrators intended to target Israeli cruise ships visiting Cyprus, according to the paper. No arrests were made.
Official Israeli sources said they were not aware of the plot.
In July, Cypriot authorities said they had arrested a Lebanese man with links to Hezbollah who was planning attacks on Israelis in the country.
A number of planned attacks against Israeli targets around the world have been foiled in the past year, including in Thailand and Georgia. In mid-July, a bus full of Israeli tourists was blown up in the Bulgarian resort town of Burgas; five Israelis and the bus driver were killed. Earlier in the year, the wife of Israel’s military attache in India was injured by a bomb attached to her car.
Israel has said the attacks were part of a concerted effort by Iran, which employs the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah as its proxy to target Israelis around the world.
Cyprus is one of the most popular tourist destination for Israelis, with some 32,000 visiting the island in 2011, according to official figures.
The Times of Israel Community.