Latest news with #Limassol
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
British man arrested on suspicion of spying and terrorism offences in Cyprus
A British man has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and terrorism offences in Cyprus. The man is reported to have kept the RAF Akrotiri base on the island under surveillance and is alleged to have links with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, local media reported. A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are in contact with the authorities in Cyprus regarding the arrest of a British man.' RAF Akrotiri is the UK's most important airbase for operations in the Middle East. The Philenews website said the man was arrested on Friday following intelligence he was planning an imminent terrorist attack. He is alleged to have lived in a flat in Zakai, Limassol, close to Akrotiri and was observed near the base carrying a camera with a long lens and three mobile phones. Local reports suggested he was Azerbaijani but the UK Foreign Office said they were working with the authorities over the arrest of a Briton.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
British man arrested on suspicion of spying and terrorism offences in Cyprus
A British man has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and terrorism offences in Cyprus. The man is reported to have kept the RAF Akrotiri base on the island under surveillance and is alleged to have links with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, local media reported. A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are in contact with the authorities in Cyprus regarding the arrest of a British man.' RAF Akrotiri is the UK's most important airbase for operations in the Middle East. The Philenews website said the man was arrested on Friday following intelligence he was planning an imminent terrorist attack. He is alleged to have lived in a flat in Zakai, Limassol, close to Akrotiri and was observed near the base carrying a camera with a long lens and three mobile phones. Local reports suggested he was Azerbaijani but the UK Foreign Office said they were working with the authorities over the arrest of a Briton.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Iranian spy' arrested in Cyprus for ‘plotting terror attack on British base'
A suspected Iranian spy has been arrested near an RAF base in Cyprus following intelligence suggesting he was planning a terrorist attack. The man, who is of Azerbaijani descent, is alleged to have links to Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to reports. Cypriot authorities confirmed on Saturday that they had arrested the unidentified man on suspicion of espionage and terror-related offences. He allegedly had Britain's Akrotiri base, home to the RAF's Typhoons, and Cyprus's own Andreas Papandreou air base under surveillance since mid-April, ANT1 news portal reported. The country's counter-terrorism unit received information from a foreign intelligence service that he was planning an immediate terrorist attack, Israeli outlet Channel 12 reports. He was arrested in the Zakaki suburb of the coastal city of Limassol, just six miles from the British base. The suspected spy was seen walking near RAF Akrotiri almost daily, carrying a camera with a magnifying lens and three mobile phones, Phileleftheros, Cyprus's largest newspaper, reported. He is said to have been taking photos with long-lens cameras as well as phones, using other electronic devices, as well as writing notes. The individual appeared before a district court in a closed hearing on Saturday and has been given an eight-day detention order pending further investigation. No further details are being issued, police said, citing national security. The Akrotiri base is the UK's largest military installation outside Britain and plays a key role in supporting operations across the Middle East. It hosts Eurofighter Typhoons, which have been used in strikes against the Islamic State and Yemen's Houthis, as well as Voyager tanker aircraft and Shadow intelligence aircraft. Terror-related offences are extremely rare in Cyprus, an island of 1.3 million, which is strategically positioned between Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. In recent days, it has become a major transit hub for entry and exit into the Middle East following the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, which erupted on June 13. The IRGC functions as a parallel military in Iran that answers directly to the Islamic Republic's rulers, oversees the country's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes and is responsible for overseas terror plots. Believed to have over a quarter of a million personnel, it is one of the most powerful paramilitary organisations in the Middle East. Last month, Dan Jarvis, the security minister, told Parliament that police and MI5 had responded to 20 Iran-linked plots since 2022, including assassination and abduction attempts. In May, the Israeli embassy in the UK became the target of an alleged Iranian terror plot. Five men, including four Iranian nationals, were arrested at locations across England in what the Home Secretary described as one of the biggest counter-terror operations in recent years. The suspected terror cell is believed to have been hours away from unleashing an attack on the embassy building in west London when the men were arrested. Sir Keir Starmer faced renewed calls from his backbenchers on Saturday to proscribe the IRGC as a terror organisation following the Government's swift move to proscribe Palestinian Action after its activists damaged two RAF planes on Friday. Labour called for the IRGC to be proscribed in opposition, but has yet to do so almost a year on. Iran was the first foreign power to be listed on the top level of the foreign influence registration scheme, earlier this year, aimed at protecting the UK from malign foreign influence. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Cyprus police arrest man on spying, terror charges
Police declined to provide extensive details, citing 'national security,'Local media said the suspect was seen acting suspiciously near a British air force base at AkrotiriNICOSIA: Cyprus police said they arrested an individual on espionage and terror charges on Saturday, with local media reporting the suspect had ties to declined to provide extensive details, citing 'national security,' but local media said the suspect was seen acting suspiciously near a British air force base at Akrotiri, outside the southern coastal city of news outlet Philenews reported the man had links to 'Iranian operatives' and had arrived on the Mediterranean island last month posing as a British said the arrest in Limassol on Saturday was based on information from a foreign intelligence service.'Following a coordinated operation today, an individual suspected of involvement in terrorism-related offenses was arrested,' said a brief police suspect appeared before a district court and was issued an eight-day remand order for 'offenses related, among others, to terrorism and espionage,' the police statement said high-resolution cameras, telephoto lenses, notes, computers and three mobile phones were discovered at the suspect's described the suspect as being of Azeri descent, referring to an ethnic group present in Azerbaijan and northwest outlet also reported that two people believed to be linked to the case were arrested in British foreign and defense ministries did not immediately respond to a request for to its location in the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus has become a key transit hub for third-country nationals fleeing the region since the recent outbreak of hostilities between Israel and has also become a staging post for Israelis seeking to return home by air or sea after being stranded abroad by the start of the fighting.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Evacuees from Israel arrive in Cyprus and describe their experiences during Iran conflict
Young people gathered at the Limassol port in Cyprus and shared their experiences after being evacuated from Israel. (AP video by Lefteris Pitarakis)
