An exterior view of the Monastir Synagogue. in Thessaloniki, Greece. Photo: NYC2TLV via Wikimedia Commons.

i24 News – Eight new suspects from Pakistan were detained as part of the investigation into a terrorist network suspected of planning attacks against Jews in Athens, a Greek police source said Thursday.

“The investigation to determine if other people are involved is ongoing,” the source said.

These eight new suspects, who had already been detained in Greece for illegal residence, were in “close contact” with the two men arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of belonging to a “terrorist network” which was planning “strikes” from abroad.

The two Pakistanis of Iranian origin, aged 27 and 29, are suspected of planning an attack on a Jewish community building housing a synagogue and a kosher restaurant, also frequented by Israelis. On Tuesday, Greek police spokeswoman Konstantina Dimoglidou said the “brain” of the operation was “a Pakistani who lives outside of Europe”. Another police source, who wished to remain anonymous, said the person was living in Iran.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office reacted on behalf of the Mossad saying that this is “a serious matter which was successfully foiled by the Greek security forces. This is a new attempt by Iran to promote terrorism against Israeli and Jewish targets abroad.”

Israel’s spy agency Mossad assisted their Greek colleagues with intelligence information regarding the cell, its methods of operation and its link to Iran. As part of the investigation, it was revealed that the infrastructure that operated in Greece was part of a large Iranian network that operates from Iran in many countries. Iran’s embassy in Greece on Wednesday dismissed any connection to the case.