Cypriot official says probe backs Mossad claims that hitman plotted to kill Israelis on th

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NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus police investigations support claims by Israel’s Mossad spy service that an Iranian-backed hit squad planned to kill Israelis and other Jews in the east Mediterranean island nation, an official said Friday.

The intelligence official told The Associated Press that Cypriot police had tracked an Iranian national identified as Yusef Shahabazi Abbasalilu following information from “friendly intelligence services.”

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Subsequent probes into his activities indicated there was a plot for such killings, with at least one person on a hit list, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the investigations.

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According to the official, Abbasalilu initially attempted to set up base and recruit others in the ethnically divided island’s breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, where its internationally recognized authorities have no access.

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. No country recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence apart from Turkey, which maintains 35,000 troops in the island’s northern third.

The fact that the breakaway north isn’t a part of the international legal order is a concern for domestic and foreign security services, according to the intelligence official.

Cypriot authorities were on Abbasalilu’s trail in the island’s southern part when he snuck into the north through a crossing point along the 180 km (120 mile) United Nations-controlled buffer zone. Turkish Cypriot authorities then identified him as a potential security risk and deported him to Iran.

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The intelligence official’s remarks marked the first time that Cyprus officials have spoken on record about the case.

The Mossad said last month said that its agents inside Iran seized Abbasalilu who allegedly gave investigators a detailed “confession.” Released footage showed Abbasalilu saying on camera that he received his orders from Iran’s powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Abbasalilu also said that he had scoped the target and took photos of the target’s home in Cyprus before fleeing the island. It was not clear if the man spoke under duress.

Israel considers Iran its greatest enemy, citing the Iranian government’s calls for Israel’s destruction and support for hostile militant groups. It also accuses Iran of trying to develop a nuclear bomb — a claim that Iran denies.

An Azeri man holding a Russian passport is on trial in Cyprus, a close Israeli ally, on suspicion that he planned to carry out the contract killings of Israelis living in Cyprus.

The Azeri man also used a similar plan of action as Abbasalilu, the intelligence official said.