The deadly explosion Thursday in Ampelokipi reportedly put not only the Greek security services (Anti-Terrorist Service, National Security Service) on alert but also the Mossad, since according to the most likely of the scenarios being considered, the terrorists’ target would have been the Israel’s press office in Psychiko.
For this reason, according to former Western intelligence officials, Mossad is expected – if it has not already done so – to send a team of its agents to Athens to investigate all possibilities.
The Israelis, who leave nothing to chance, will gather as much information as they can about the case, being highly competent in this field.
The arriving team of agents will remain in Athens as long as necessary, and as usual in such cases its members will arrive separately and from different countries.
Already the Mossad station based in Athens has reportedly taken action to collect information about the case, the people involved in it and the places where they were moving in Athens.
At the same time, footage from the security cameras at the Embassy is already being examined to determine any repeated appearances of these individuals around the Embassy.
It should be taken for granted that the NIS and the Anti-Terrorist Service have already given what evidence they found in the apartment destroyed by the powerful bomb blast to the Israelis.
Given the situation and the war with Hamas and Hezbollah, the possibility of a terrorist attack on the Athens embassy is certainly something that is of serious concern after Thursday’s explosion in the apartment in Ampelokipi.
That is why, moreover, they will examine any evidence they collect or are given by the NIS, with whom they work closely on terrorism issues.
How the attack on a Jewish restaurant in Psirri was prevented
The result of such cooperation became known last March when a large-scale operation was carried out by the NIS and the Anti-Terrorist Service in various areas of Greek territory.
Mossad provided a large intelligence base to the Greek security authorities which led to the arrest of two Pakistani men, 27 and 29 years old, who were receiving orders from a leading member of a terrorist organization living abroad.
According to the evidence that had emerged at the time, the target of the two Pakistanis was a well-known Jewish restaurant in the Psirri area, which they had “x-rayed” and which they intended to attack with Kalashnikovs, which they could not obtain.
In fact, they had received specific instructions on how to strike while they were looking for other persons as accomplices to make their “mission” easier and safer.
The thanks of the Israelis
The arrests of the two Pakistanis were made on March 28 and the following day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as the Mossad expressed thanks to the security services of Greece for preventing a terrorist attack against Israeli targets.
A statement issued by Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on behalf of Mossad stressed that the case uncovered in Greece “is a serious matter that was successfully prevented by the Greek security forces.”
“It was an additional attempt by Iran to commit terrorism against Israeli and Jewish targets abroad. After the suspects were investigated in Greece, the Mossad provided intelligence assistance to uncover its structure, methods of operation and connection to Iran. The investigation revealed that the structure operating in Greece is part of an extensive Iranian-run network that extends across multiple countries. Mossad, along with its partners in the community, is working tirelessly to prevent Iranian attack attempts around the world,” the statement also underlined.
The Israeli foreign minister then addressed the issue in a Twitter post. Specifically, he wrote that he “thanked the Greek government and the Greek intelligence and security service for preventing the terrorist attack against Jewish and Israeli targets.”
