The Georgian Intelligence Service (GIS) said Tuesday they've successfully foiled an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Israelis inside the former Soviet country.
The GIS official statement said a Pakistani man, who entered from a different country, was supposed to carry out the hit. In addition, several Iranian-Georgian nationalists smuggled weapons and equipment into Georgia to aid with the operation.
They added that the Pakistani man received pertinent intel before entering Georgia from a third country, where he was renting an apartment and networking. He also stalked the Israeli he was set to kill.
The Georgians said the weapon smugglers and the Pakistani operative were not in contact with each other in order to avoid detection. "The coordination with the group and the hitman was conducted from abroad," said a source.
In addition, the weapons and ammunition were hidden in several different spots across the capital of Tbilisi.
News report from Turkey about the arrest of Iranian operatives
The GIS said they arrested the Pakistani man along with another individual who has a dual citizenship, and that they've confiscated weapons caches and information hideouts. They continue the manhunt for all those connected to the alleged plot.
This isn't the first Iranian attempt at targeting Israelis overseas. Last summer, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps operatives were apprehended in Istanbul, primed to kidnap and kill Israeli tourists, and specifically Israeli businessman Yair Geller.
Other similar attempts were neutralized in Cyprus, among other places.