Possible terrorist attack prevented in Cyprus: investigation into case of two Palestinians expands

Cyprus police are continuing a major investigation after the arrest in Larnaca of two Palestinians aged 32 and 38, suspected of preparing terrorist activities. Investigators believe the operation may have prevented possible terrorist attacks on the territory of the republic.

According to the Larnaca Crime Prevention Department, chemical substances and materials that can be used to make explosives were found in two locations — a house in the Governor’s Beach area and an apartment in the Kamares area. Among the items found — ammonium nitrate and other chemical components.

The investigation is focused on several lines at once. Police are trying to determine whether the suspects acted as part of a broader network, and are also identifying the sources of the chemicals. Preliminary information suggests that some of the substances may have been purchased on the Cypriot market.

All discovered materials are being sent for examination. Specialists will determine the exact composition of the chemical substances and check for the DNA of other possible participants.

The 32-year-old suspect was living legally in Cyprus with his family in an apartment in the Kamares area. The second detainee, a 38-year-old man, is believed to have been staying on the island illegally and, according to the investigation, entered the territory of the Republic of Cyprus through the northern part of the island.

Both men had been under police surveillance for several days and were arrested during a special operation. The court authorized their detention for eight days.

This is not the first such case in Cyprus. In 2015, a Lebanese national linked to Hezbollah was detained in Larnaca, where more than eight tons of ammonium nitrate were found. At the time, investigators said attacks against foreign targets on the island were being prepared.