Days after the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad foiled an Iranian terror plot to kill Israelis and Jews in Cyprus, stunning details have emerged on how Israeli agents captured and interrogated the head of the Iranian death squad sent to carry out the attacks.
On Friday evening, Mossad released a taped confession of Iranian terror cell chief Yousef Shahbazi Abbasalilo, who details how Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) instructed him to murder an Israeli businessmen based in Cyprus. Abbasalilo, who was intercepted by Mossad inside Iran, also admitted coordination with a death squad made up of Pakistan nationals for conducting the terror attacks.
As we reported Tuesday, Mossad foiled an Iranian plot to murder Israelis and Jews in Cyprus. The IRGC terror cell was scouting locations frequented by Israeli tourists and businessmen, including a Chabad house of worship in the city of Limassol.
The confession led to the arrest of the Iranian terror operatives in Cyprus. “In his interrogation, Yousef Shahbazi Abbasalilo provided a detailed confession that led to the capture of the Iranian terror squad by Cyprus security services,” the Israeli news website Ynet reported. “Israeli agents located Abbasalilo and interrogated him on Camera. In their investigation, he provided details about the planned attack, the officials from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps who were behind the plot, his handler’s methods of operation, the weapons he was provided and the means of communications used,” the news outlet added.
The Jerusalem Post reported the details of the Mossad:
The Mossad announced on Thursday its method for recently thwarting a Cyprus terror attack: It kidnapped the mastermind from within Iranian territory.The stunning revelation, including the identity of the mastermind, Yusef Shahabazi Abbasalilu, was the latest in the saga which itself first broke on Sunday.“In a unique daring mission within Iranian territory, the Mossad was able to seize the mastermind of the terror cell, who then admitted [to the terror plot] in detail during his interrogation, which led to exposing and the taking apart of the Cyprus terror cell,” said a Mossad statement.A senior Mossad official said, “We will get to every official who advances terror against Jews and Israelis anywhere in the world, including within Iranian territory.”Abbasalilu had received detailed instructions from senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and told his interrogators exactly how the plot was to be carried out and where to find all the related supplies and cell members, said the Mossad.Next, the spy agency passed on the information to Cyprus’ authorities who arrested most of the cell’s other members.On Sunday, The Jerusalem Post and Phile News reported that the Mossad and Cyprus thwarted a planned Iranian terrorist attack on Jews on the island state.That initial report said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps planned the attack, which was stopped in cooperation between Cyprus and Western partners, which named the US and Israel as among the likely partners.
Iran is increasingly using terrorist recruits from neighboring Pakistan to target Israeli overseas. In late March, Greek police arrested Pakistan nationals planning multiple attack on Jewish restaurants and places of worship. The busted terrorist cell, which entered Greece illegally, had links to Iran. Greek police arrested two Pakistani nationals … who were allegedly planning mass-casualty terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in the country,” The Times of Israel reported.
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