BICOM

Israeli embassies around the world have recently received threats of an imminent terrorist attack, according to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry yesterday. The authorities suspect that the Lebanese Shia Islamist organisation Hezbollah is behind the threats, which they suspect were issued to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah military chief Imad Mughniyeh. Four embassies have been temporarily closed, according to media reports. The current threats are believed to have been directed at embassies in Africa, south-east Asia and the Caucasus. The Israeli Counter-terrorism Bureau has also issued a warning to Israelis against traveling to certain destinations, because of the risk of terrorist attacks. These include Egypt, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania and Venezuela.

Imad Mughniyeh was killed in a car bomb explosion in Damascus in February, 2008. He was the most senior military figure in Hezbollah, and was considered responsible for establishing Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in cooperation with Iran, and for maintaining the relationship between the group and its Iranian creators and backers. Hezbollah considers Israel as responsible for the death of Mughniyeh. The group has not yet succeeded in carrying out a high profile attack in revenge for his death. A number of thwarted attempts have reached the public eye, including a failed plan to blow up the Israeli embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2008.