Authorities in Cyprus are on alert after receiving information from foreign secret services that Islamic State jihadists are planning to hijack airplanes in Cyprus. A newsit report says that the airports of Larnaca and Paphos are on alert based on information by foreign secret services that IS jihadists plan to hijack a Cyprus Airlines plane and take hostages. The information says that jihadists plan to take the plane to an airport in Syria or Iraq that is under IS control and then use the hostages to negotiate with Great Britain. The jihadists will use the hostages in order to demand that Cyprus will not allow Great Britain’s Royal Air Force to use the British bases in Cyprus to launch air raids against the areas in Syria and Iraq where jihadists have control. According to the report, secret services say that the IS has similar plans for Greece and Great Britain. Cypriot Police have been put on alert in the airports of Larnaca and Paphos and are ordered to do thorough searches on all passengers and baggage. The official alert was terminated yesterday, however police remain on alert as Cyprus’ secret services continue to gather information on suspects who are related to the jihadists. In both airports, passengers who are European citizens but are of Arabic origin are thoroughly searched. Secret services say that some of them plan to cross to the Turkish-occupied zone and cross to Syria from there. Cypriot authorities say that in the last few days they performed searches on cargo at the Limassol Port. A cargo ship with destination Syria was searched to see if it was carrying any materials that can be used to make explosives. It was released after no such materials were found.
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