One of the men detained by Argentinian Federal Police on suspicion of being part of a terrorist cell. AFP
One of the men detained by Argentinian Federal Police on suspicion of being part of a terrorist cell. AFP
One of the men detained by Argentinian Federal Police on suspicion of being part of a terrorist cell. AFP
One of the men detained by Argentinian Federal Police on suspicion of being part of a terrorist cell. AFP

Argentina arrests three Syrian and Lebanese men in connection with potential terror attack


Sara Ruthven
  • English
  • Arabic

Argentina's Security Ministry on Wednesday said it had neutralised a terror cell with the arrest of three men of Syrian and Lebanese origin.

The ministry said the men had been detained on suspicion of being connected to a terrorist plot that was to be carried out on Argentinian soil.

One of the men was carrying Venezuelan and Colombian passports in his name, the ministry reported. Another had a Syrian flag in his possession.

Intelligence had indicated the possible entry into the country of three Syrian or Lebanese citizens aiming to gather in Buenos Aires to set off the attack.

Security agencies had also learnt that a large package had been shipped to Argentina from Yemen. Two of the men were detained in connection with the package.

According to La Nacion, police were investigating the contents of the package and going through the men's phone records.

The men's arrival coincided with the Pan American Maccabi Games, this year hosted by Buenos Aires.

The international sporting event, similar to the Olympics, is open to Jewish athletes from across the Americas and is part of the larger international Maccabiah Games.

This year, about 4,200 Jewish athletes from 22 countries are competing in the regional games.

Argentina is no stranger to terror attacks. In 1994, a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden vehicle into a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, killing 85.

No one was ever convicted in connection with the attack, but allegations have been primarily levelled against a group connected with Hezbollah.

Last month, the US issued sanctions on a Lebanese man accused of being part of Hezbollah's Islamic Jihad Organisation and being involved in the planning of the 1994 Buenos Aires attack.

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

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Updated: January 03, 2024, 4:40 PM`