JIHADISTS IN CHLORAKAS, SAYS THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL — Filenews 7/9

The Chlorakas Community Council expresses the claim that young jihadists have been descending in Pafos in recent months, indirectly justifying the reactions against foreigners, while it also sees political expediency.

At the same time, the community council claims that NGOs, a businessman and a Syrian ring are behind the jihadists, while it also raises the issue of national security.

The above are included in a letter from the Community Council of Chlorakas to the chairman and members of the House Standing Committee on Internal Affairs.

The letter states that «the last 6 months have seen the phenomenon of mass settlement of young Islamist fanatics in Chloraka.»

It is claimed that «the den of these fanatics was St. Nikolas Residence, but they also settled in other premises in Chloraka and the surrounding areas». They came, mainly from Turkey, and a few from Lebanon by boat. These, according to the community council, «were guided to come by illegal NGOs, a big businessman who set up the three big ghettos of Pafos and a ring of Syrian smugglers and exploiters based in Paphos.»

The letter continues: «They helped and directed migrants to smuggle into Cyprus, which is an illegal and criminal offence. Who covers them? What interests economically and politically are behind this?».

According to the claims of the community council of Chlorakas, the whole thing developed as follows: NGOs made the asylum applications of the young people with their lawyers and then sent them to Paphos. The big businessman picked up some and the young jihadists were taken over by the Syrian rings here. They found them shelter in St. Nikolas and elsewhere, made them work undeclared, steal anything from houses and buildings, made them ravage St. Nikolas and give them the stolen goods, sold them drugs, sold them unwritten cars, opened Mini Markets and Cafes near the complex to provide them with banking services, among other things, to help them send money through the occupied territories to Turkey, they brought the young people to pray, to guide them, to fanatize them and to train them not to fear the hosts, the Cypriots, but to see them as enemies.

The letter also states that on August 14 they decided to protest, march to the Community Council of Chloraka and shout slogans of religious fanaticism and that they will harm the muktaris, his house and the offices of K.S.Chlorakas.