Georgia says it foiled Iranian attempt to murder Israeli on its soil

Georgian security officials foiled a recent attempt of a Pakistani citizen to murder an Israeli in Georgia on orders from an Iranian operative, the country’s security agency revealed Tuesday.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to repeated requests for comment.

According to a statement from the State Security Service of Georgia, the man planning the attack was arrested, and security officials identified the person who allegedly ordered the killing as an Iranian citizen operating outside of Georgia.

The security agency said the alleged attacker was sent to Georgia in order to murder an Israeli, and began to secretly surveil the intended target on instruction of the Iranian who ordered the killing.

The man received weapons from other Iranian citizens in Georgia through the use of dropoffs and hideouts in order to cover their tracks, the agency stated, adding that several firearms were seized in the arrest and investigation.

The security agency said that several people were arrested in the course of the investigation, including Georgians who held dual citizenship with Iran or Pakistan.

Iranian terror operatives have regularly been accused of attempting to target Israeli citizens and targets abroad, including recently in Greece and Turkey, two popular tourist destinations.

Georgia is also a popular travel locale for Israelis, especially the resort town of Batumi, which can be reached via a direct flight from Tel Aviv — as can the capital Tbilisi.

In 2012, local security forces defused a car bomb that was placed under the vehicle of an employee of the Israeli Embassy in Tbilisi.