POLICE ARE taking heightened measures against potential terrorist attacks on Israeli interests at ports, airports and any other place deemed necessary, said police spokesman Andreas Angelides yesterday.
Asked to comment on reports that police have beefed up their presence at Larnaca port where cruise ships carrying Israeli tourists docked, Angelides said: “Police are taking increased security measures in various locations like ports, airports, places where there are Israeli interests and any other areas deemed necessary.”
He added: “Where information is made available, it is investigated immediately and thoroughly and in cases where deemed necessary, persons considered suspect based on that information are questioned and checked.”
According to online news site Sigmalive.com, police chief Michalis Papageorgiou chaired a meeting at police headquarters to assess information from Israel regarding the safety of Israeli tourists.
A team dealing with terrorism issues is reportedly going through surveillance camera footage from the ports and airports looking for potential suspects believed to belong to terrorist organisations.
Police are on heightened alert after a suicide bus bombing in the Bulgarian city of Burgas on July 18, killed seven people, five of them Israelis.
The Jewish state has blamed the attack on Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim militant group Hezbollah, and Iran, which has denied any involvement.
Meanwhile, a Swedish national of Lebanese descent arrested on suspicion of plotting to attack Israeli tourists in Cyprus will stand trial on September 12 in Limassol, facing nine charges of security-related offences.
The man is accused of tracking the movements and areas frequented by Israeli visitors to the island. He was arrested on July 7 as a suspected security threat.
Cypriot authorities have acknowledged the suspect showed behavioural patterns similar to the incident in Burgas, in which the attacker waited for Israeli holidaymakers to board a bus at an airport before detonating a backpack of explosives.
