Cyprus bomb suspect reportedly linked to Hezbollah

A man detained in Cyprus after two tonnes of potential bomb-making material was found in his home is reportedly a member of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah.

Phileleftheros, Cyprus's largest daily newspaper, reported that the unnamed 26-year-old Lebanese-Canadian is a member of the group’s military wing and has personal connections to Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah.

The man was arrested on Wednesday following the discovery of more than 400 boxes of ammonium nitrate, a fertiliser which can be used to make explosives, was discovered at his home in Larnaca.

He reportedly told police he knew the material was in his basement, but claimed it was not his and said he had arrived to the island last week for a holiday.

Police said they were considering the possibility that the man planned to attack Israeli targets on the island, which draws thousands of Israeli visitors annually.

“We are investigating every possibility and any links (to extremism), if they exist, will be investigated and evaluated," said Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou.

A source within the Israeli defence establishment told Haaretz on Friday that Hezbollah was the contractor behind the plot, but stressed that it is "Iran who is (behind the) funding and training".

"This is a terror infrastructure ready to strike the moment it is given a chance, like the one in Burgas," they said, in reference to the 2012 bombing attributed to Hezbollah that killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian driver at the Black Sea city of Burgas.

"This is additional proof of Iran's involvement in terror and the infrastructure of operatives, instructors and funders it provides," said the source.

Though close to the Middle East, Cyprus has generally been free from spillover from the numerous conflicts currently raging in the region.

In 2013, a Swedish citizen of Lebanese descent was jailed in Cyprus on charges of plotting an attack on Israeli tourists.