Larnaca CID has arrested two Palestinian men, aged 32 and 38, on suspicion of terrorism after police found materials that can be used to make explosives, including ammonium nitrate, in homes at Governor’s Beach and Kamares. Authorities say the quantities seized were sizeable and believe the operation prevented possible attacks in Cyprus. The suspects, held for eight days, were detained following days of surveillance and a coordinated operation last Thursday; both continue to refuse to cooperate with investigators. Evidence from the searches has been recorded and assessed and scientific tests on the materials are pending.

Investigators and cooperating services are probing several lines of inquiry to determine whether the two had accomplices inside the Republic. Checks show the 32-year-old is legally in Cyprus, while the 38-year-old is in the country illegally and is believed to have entered from the occupied north. Further forensic results and investigative findings are awaited as the case develops.