Cyprus :Six persons who arrived last night (Nov.21) at Larnaca airport are currently under restriction at the airport to see whether these are linked to the Islamic state. Particularly, after information there is further investigation for three of the six among tthem, who are allegedly linked to Islamic extremist organizations. These six francophones arrived at Larnaca airport on a flight from Basel, Switzerland. At the passport control they said they came to Cyprus for a holiday for four days.
According to the Police’s spokesperson all six have a French passport, five of them are of Turkish origin and one of Algerian. It is envisaged to be sent back to the country from where they came, Switzerland.
Reuters reports that the Lebanese army has arrested six Palestinians trying to leave to Syria to fight alongside insurgents aiming to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a Lebanese security source said on Saturday.
The security source said the men were caught in a mountainous area near the border town of Hermel. He did not give further details but added that the army has also shut down five illegal crossings to Syria in the area which were used to smuggle people and goods.
Authorities launched a crackdown in south and north Lebanon after two suicide bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State killed 44 people in a Beirut suburb this month, the latest spillover from the Syrian civil war across the border.
They said they dismantled a network planning further attacks in Lebanon. On Saturday, the army arrested two Lebanese men on suspicion of belonging to a “terrorist group”.
Lebanon, which hosts around 1 million Syrian refugees, hosts tens of thousands of Palestinians living in camps built to absorb refugees after Israel’s creation more than 60 years ago.
Other news from Eastern Mediterranean:
Turkey on alert over attacks on Syrian Turkmens
The Emirati plan for ruling Egypt
Egypt votes in final round of parliamentary elections
Terrorism links trigger greater scrutiny for Greece