Police in Cyprus have arrested a man suspected of terrorism and espionage, Cypriot authorities said today, quoted by Reuters, BTA reported.
The suspect appeared before a district court today, which ordered an eight-day detention while the investigation continues. No further details will be released, police said, citing national security concerns.
Several local media outlets reported that the suspect is of Azeri ethnic origin and that he was arrested in the Zakaki suburb of the coastal city of Limassol. The suspect is believed to have been monitoring the British RAF base in Akrotiri and the Cyprus Air Force base "Andreas Papandreou" in the western Paphos area since April, Cypriot news portal ANT1 reported.
Cyprus is not far from the Middle East and in recent days the island has been used as a transit point for people leaving or heading to the region, amid the conflict between regional enemies Israel and Iran.
Terrorism-related charges are rare in Cyprus, Reuters notes.