The suspicion is growing that an Azerbaijani citizen who was arrested in Cyprus planned, together with other partners, to carry out an attack against Israelis on the island, the country's largest newspaper "Philip" reported today (Thursday).
According to the report, information coming from Israel as well as the arrest of another suspect, a Pakistani citizen posing as an employee of a large catering company in the country, reinforced the suspicion of the local police that the Azeri citizen's goal was to carry out an attack against Israeli targets on the island.
According to the Cypriot newspaper, the attack was planned for a Muslim holiday and its purpose was to convey a message to Israel, although it was not stated on whose behalf the attack was planned and who the organizers were.
It has previously been claimed that the Azeri citizen was recruited by a Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, but no verification has been received for these reports.
According to additional details that were discovered, the Pakistani and the Azeri had a regular telephone contact. In the Azeri's possession, work clothes of the catering company where the Pakistani suspect worked were found.
Local police suspect that the Azeri citizen intended to use the service uniform in order to gain access to a hotel complex and carry out an attack.
However, the Cypriot newspaper claims that the police are continuing to check other lines of investigation as well and that at the moment the possibility of terrorism is not the only option on the agenda in the case.
Last week, authorities on the island announced that they had arrested an Azerbaijani citizen who planned to harm an Israeli businessman.
It was later reported in Israel that the businessman was Teddy Sagi, but a sweeping denial of the report was subsequently published.
