Second Lebanese suspect held in Cyprus bomb probe

A second Lebanese man was detained in Cyprus for five days in connection with the seizure of five tonnes of possible bomb-making material, authorities said Sunday.

The 62-year-old appeared before a district court in the resort city of Larnaca where his hearing was held behind closed doors for "security reasons".

According to the official Cyprus News Agency, police believe the suspect imported ammonium nitrate -- a fertiliser that when mixed with other substances can be used to make explosives -- in ice packs as part of first aid kits.

He was arrested in the capital Nicosia on Saturday.

Last week, police said they had detained a Lebanese-Canadian man after several tonnes of the chemical were found at his residence in Larnaca.

The 26-year-old faces possible charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and illegal possession and transfer of explosive materials.

The Cypriot authorities are also looking into whether the Lebanese-Canadian has possible links with the military wing of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

Police asked the court for more time to complete their investigation, which also involves cooperation with international law enforcement agencies.

The Lebanese-Canadian man arrived in Cyprus on May 21 for what he described as a holiday. He was arrested in a Larnaca suburb on May 27 following a surveillance operation.

Local media reports said authorities had not ruled out that the suspect was planning an attack on Israeli targets on the Mediterranean resort island, which attracts thousands of visitors from nearby Israel each year.

In 2013, a Cypriot court convicted a Lebanese-born Swedish man who admitted he was a Hezbollah member. He received a four-year jail term after being found guilty of targeting Israelis on the island.