Businessowners described Aesopou Street in Psirri, where the Jewish restaurant-synagogue is located, as a safe place guarded closely. According to workers and shopkeepers in the area, those who enter the synagogue on the days of Jewish prayer are subjected to a thorough check while the managers of the place ask for the details of the worshippers.
The faithful, however, were not deterred by the revelations about the action of the Pakistani terrorists who wanted to target their place of worship in Psirri. Several Jews visited the restaurant-synagogue today.
"I came today to pray to God. We pray everyday, we believe in God, we trust in God and we believe that everything is okay," said one Jew who had just left the restaurant-synagogue.
"We feel safe. I read on the internet what they were preparing here but we are used to such situations. If someone wants to do something, it's not just here, it can be anywhere in the world," he added.
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The two Pakistani terrorists arrested in Athens for planning to attack a Jewish restaurant-synagogue were part of a larger Iranian network, according to the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.
The Mossad spy agency, reported the Times of Israel, said it aided Greek authorities in foiling an attempt by two Pakistanis to carry out an attack against Israeli and Jewish targets in Greece.
In a statement carried by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Mossad says details of the “serious affair” that were released earlier today are part of Iran’s constant attempts to target Israelis and Jews abroad.
“After the investigation of the suspects began in Greece, the Mossad assisted in unraveling intelligence of the infrastructure, the methods of operation, and the connection to Iran,” the spy agency says.
The Mossad says the investigation revealed that the two Pakistanis were part of a “wide Iranian network that operates from Iran and out of many countries.”
The spy agency vows that together with its partners in the intelligence community, it “works by virtue of its role continuously to thwart terror attacks by Iran all over the globe.”
For their part, the European Jewish Congress thanked Greek authorities for swiftly dealing with what could have been a "horrific attack".
"Our deepest appreciation to the Greek authorities for their swift effective action in preventing an horrific attack on a Jewish restaurant-synagogue in Athens. Safety of Jewish life is an obligation for our democratic societies," the EJC tweeted.
The Israeli Foreign Minister also tweeted on the incident.
"I want to thank the Greek government and the Greek intelligence and security services for thwarting the terrorist attack against Jewish and Israeli targets. Terrorism is a common enemy, and the fight against it is our top priority," Foreign Minister Eli Cohen tweeted.
"The government of the Ayatollahs in Tehran exports terrorism to the Middle East and the entire world, and only with a firm and joint stand will we be able to stop the terrorist activities of the Iranian regime," he added.
A Pakistani jihadi group operating in the Greek capital was unveiled to be masterminded by a man who is wanted for murder in Iran and who recruited two men aged 27 and 29 to carry out a series of targeted terrorist attacks against innocent civilians and a Jewish restaurant/synagogue.
The terrorist organisation was dismantled by Greek police and intelligence officers.
The first target for the series of attacks, and in which the planning was almost completed, was a Jewish restaurant which also functioned as a synagogue. The restaurant-synagogue is in the central Athens neighbourhood of Psirri.
The would-be terrorists had chosen to attack either with weapons, explosives, or setting fire at a time when there would be more than 50 people in the building. In other words, the goal was a mass bloodbath.
For each dead person, the two Pakistani perpetrators would receive 15,000 euros from the Pakistani mastermind of the terrorist network, Proto Thema reported.
The case began to unfold two months ago when information about the network's activity reached the National Intelligence Service (EYP) of Greece. The Anti-Terrorism Department were also informed.
The two Pakistanis, who worked in various manual jobs in Attica and the countryside were immediately observed by intelligence officers and on February 15th and 16th they were arrested as they did not have the necessary papers to stay legally in Greece.
From their mobile phones, communications with the leader were found. The pair had carried out surveillance on Aesopou Street in Psirri. They then received the final instructions for carrying out the attack and began looking for more people to help carry out the terrorist attack.
Police Announcement
"Following coordinated actions by the Greek Police and the National Intelligence Service, a terrorist network was dismantled that, with guidance from abroad, was planning strikes against carefully selected targets in Greek territory.
"On the basis of information collected and processed by the National Intelligence Service, coordinated operations of the EYP and the Anti-Terrorist Service (D.A.E.B.) were carried out in various areas.
"In the context of these coordinated actions of the two services, two (2) foreigners were arrested, members of the terrorist-leadership, who were active abroad, as the 'brains' of the network.
"They aimed not only at the loss of innocent citizens, but also at undermining the country's sense of security, simultaneously damaging its institutions and threatening its international relations.
"From the analysis of the seized information and digital data, it was revealed and confirmed that the members of the network:
"In implementation of these instructions they were also looking for other persons for the best possible execution of their mission.
"A criminal case file was opened, while in the morning hours of 03/28/2023, the arrested persons were brought before the Athens District Attorney and referred to an Investigator.
"The investigations are continuing."
Theodorikakos: Priority for the Police is national security
In his message on dismantling the terrorist network, the Minister of Citizen Protection, Takis Theodorikakos, said: "National security and dealing with any form of risk of a terrorist attack against targets inside the country are a priority for the Greek Police and a key area of cooperation with the National Intelligence Service."
"Recently, the Anti-Terrorist Service of the Hellenic Police, in collaboration with the National Intelligence Service, dismantled a terrorist organisation network in which foreigners participated, who were brought before the Court this morning.
"This operation confirms once again that the security authorities of the country maintain their preparedness at a very high level, for all Greeks and all visitors to our homeland".
It was recently revealed that up to 50,000 Pakistanis are living in Greece with fake papers, most having entered posing as Syrians during the 2015-2016 refugee crisis and without any real formal documents or identity papers.
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