Greek intel service uncovers terrorist plot targeting Israeli restaurant in Athens

A terrorist network that planned attacks against marked targets throughout the Greek territory has been dismantled, the Greek Citizen Protection Ministry announced on Tuesday.

This was achieved by the coordinated actions of both the Hellenic Police, the Counterterrorism Service, and the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP), it was added.

The announcement pointed out that the members of this terrorist network “had marked a building of special significance” where they would carry out a terrorist attack, while “they aimed not only at killing innocent citizens, but also at undermining the sense of security in the country, at the same time affecting the institutions and threatening Greece’s international relations.”

Specifically, a restaurant of Israeli interests in central Athens was the target of two Pakistani nationals, aged 29 and 27, police sources told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA). The two men were arrested in February for administrative violations, as they lived in Greece without legal documents or stay permits.

Authorities however discovered that the two potential attackers were considering three different plans of attack: trigerring explosives, firing weapons, or setting a fire to the restaurant while the clientele – mostly Israelis – was dining inside.

The investigation also revealed that the two Pakistanis had frequent contacts with a compatriot of theirs who resides in Iran. This person had promised them a financial reward, and also instructed them on how to carry out the attack, police sources noted.

Posting on Facebook, Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos pointed out that “this operation confirms anew that the country’s security authorities maintain their readiness at a very high level, for [the safety of] all Greeks and visitors to our homeland.”

In a tweet, Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen thanked the Greek government and authorities for averting the terrorist act.

The two men will be led before a prosecutor on Friday, facing felony charges of forming and joining a terrorist organization, while criminal charges were also filed against the uknown mastermind abroad.

Source: amna.com