World News | Greek police say 2 Pak Men arrested for plotting terrorist attack on Jewish institution

JERUSALEM, March 29 (PTI) — Israeli spy agency Mossad and Greek police have allegedly thwarted a plot to launch a massive terrorist attack on Israelis and Jews in Greece in cooperation, it is claimed.

Greek police on Tuesday arrested two Pakistani nationals suspected of planning the attack, The Times of Israel reported.

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The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement that the two arrested Pakistani nationals were part of an Iranian terror network.

“The incident detected in Greece is a serious case that was successfully thwarted by Greek security forces. It is yet another Iranian attempt to carry out terrorism against Israeli and Jewish targets abroad,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said.

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“Following the investigation of the suspects in Greece, the Mossad provided intelligence assistance to identify the infrastructure, its working methods and its links to Iran.

“The investigation revealed that the infrastructure operating in Greece was part of a broad Iranian network operating from Iran and spanning a number of countries,” it added.

The two unnamed suspects, aged 27 and 29, are reportedly being held at police headquarters in central Athens. A third person, who is not in Greece, is wanted for questioning and charged in absentia.

Local media reports said the attack targeted Chabad House, which includes a kosher restaurant and hosts other religious events.

It is worth noting that Pakistani terrorists who carried out the 26/11 attack in Mumbai also targeted the Chabad Building in the Indian metropolis.

Greek police said the suspect had chosen a “highly symbolic” target and was making final preparations for the attack.

“Their aim was not only to cause the loss of life of innocent citizens, but also to undermine the country’s sense of security, while harming public institutions and threatening (Greece’s) international relations,” Greek police said.

The two Pakistanis are said to be part of an “extensive Iranian network operating from Iran and many other countries”.

“Analysis of the seized information and digital data revealed and confirmed that members of the network had selected a particularly important building as a target; carried out reconnaissance and attack planning in the area; and had received final instructions to carry out the attack,” Greece said. A police statement published by news website Directus said.

Authorities began investigating the terror network following the arrest in 2021 of two other Pakistani men suspected of planning attacks on Israelis, according to reports.

It said the network was also linked to a plot Iran foiled in Turkey last year.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen thanked Greece for thwarting the plot.

“The Ayatollah regime in Tehran is exporting terror to the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the wider world. Only a strong stance and cooperation can stop the Iranian regime’s terror,” Cohen said in a tweet.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the arrest “further demonstrates the superiority of Israeli intelligence and the importance of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and its perpetrators”.

“The Mossad and Israel’s intelligence agencies will continue to ensure that wherever Iran attempts to act against our citizens, there is an effective response,” he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the body of content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)